


I won't give up on us

by 666_Angelus_Et_Iustus_Hominis_666



Series: I Won't Give Up On Us [1]
Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Grave Robbery, Human!Kol, Injury, It's mainly just Kolvina ok, Kaleb!Kol, M/M, Magic, Minor Original Character(s), Minor TVD characters, More tags to be added, Other, Psychological Torture, She's more of a major character, Stephan who?, Torture, What timeline?, Witch!Kol, early season 3 AU, except Caroline
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-16
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2018-05-21 04:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 19,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6037843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/666_Angelus_Et_Iustus_Hominis_666/pseuds/666_Angelus_Et_Iustus_Hominis_666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She sat by the small gravestone every night. What she didn't know is that the casket beneath it was empty.  It had only been filled for a day before it was once again emptied. After all, they couldn't let the body decay.</p>
<p>EDIT: I update sometime every Wednesday</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This does have some foul language

She sat by the small gravestone every night. What she didn't know is that the casket beneath it was empty. It had only been filled for a day before it was once again, emptied. After all, they couldn't let the body decay. 

Kol felt cold water splash across his face, causing him to wake. His whole body ached. 

When his eyes finally focused, he could see five people standing in front of him. Three men and two  
Women. 

He was sitting in a cold metal chair with thick leather straps around his ankles, wrists, and waist.

"You awake?" The tallest man said in a heavy southern accent. 

He didn't answer but instead, stared at the knife in the man's hand. 

"I think you'll find that it's best to answer ma questions," the man said. 

"What fuck do you think?" He responded in a throaty voice. 

"You better stop being so god damn smug, you bastard," one of the women retorted. 

"What's going on?" He asked, "I was 95% sure that I was dead." 

"You were," the smallest man said.

"And don't get confused," the other, shorter woman began, " we aren't your friends. We aren't tryin to bring you back. We want Kaleb back." 

"Kaleb?" Kol asked, "you mean my body?"

"He's part of our coven," the taller women said, "We're not going to let him die."

"So what are you going to do, hm?" He asked 

"We don't know any of that body jumping magic. So, we're going to try something else."


	2. The gravestone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina can only do one thing: Hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter!

Davina sat next to the gravestone and stared into the distance with a seemingly emotionless face. Emotionless was the exact opposite of what she was feeling. For some reason, a large chip in the side of the gravestone caught her attention. It wasn't there before. And, now that she looked closely, the dirt was recently upturned. She knew that they had buried him only a couple days ago, but the dirt had already settled and had footprints across it, small sprouts of grass started to shoot up out of the ground. But now, the small tuffs of grass were gone and the dirt was loose and airy. 

She slammed the door open and practically ran straight into Elijah, who had suddenly appeared in front of her. 

"Davina, what are you doing here?"

"I was at the graveyard," she said, panting, "I think he's alive, Elijah." 

Elijah sighed deeply and put a hand on her shoulder. 

"Davina..."

"I'm not crazy, or delusional, or-or whatever. The grave is fresh and there's a chip in the headsto-"

"-Davina," Elijah said, interrupting her, "You're...you're in denial, Davina." 

"I-I'm not in denial!" She yelled.

"What if I can prove it to you?" Elijah asked. 

Davina nodded slowly and bit her bottom lip. 

"C'mon," he said, guiding her out the door. 

"Where are your two going?" a familiar voice said from behind. It was Klaus. 

"We're going to dig up a body," Elijah replied.


	3. Raise me up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina didn't want to loose hope, Elijah already had, and Kol was very much alive.

Hot sticky blood dripped from his lips. As soon as he looked up, his face met yet another fist. The tall woman walked closer to him and unbuttoned part of his shirt. She ran the knife across his skin, leaving a trail of blood behind. 

"Your name is Kaleb Westphall, you are a witch, you are part of our coven." The souther-accent man said.

In response, he spit blood directly in his face. 

\-------------------------------------

Elijah dumped the last shovel full of dirt onto the grass and brushed some off of the casket. 

"Davina, I'm sorry."

"Just open it!" She shouted. "You can't know for sure!" 

He nodded slightly and lifted the lid off. He couldn't decide if what he saw should give him great relief or make him absolutely terrified. 

"Well?" She asked with crossed arms.

"It's...empty." 

\-------------------------------------

Kol's eye began to swell shut, blood dripped from his nose and a cut above his eye, he could tell that his ribs were already starting to bruise, and his shirt was covered in blood. 

"Your name is Kaleb Westphall, you are a witch, you are part of our coven," the southern man said again. 

"Go to hell," Kol croaked.


	4. Still looking up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina discovers the truth and Kol is introduced to a strange man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter. Hope you enjoy.

"What?" Davina asked in disbelief. 

"It's empty," Elijah repeated. 

She walked closer and Peered into the open grave. 

She managed to utter two words before tripping over another gravestone, "Holy shit."

\-------------------------------------

The sharp blade ran across his chest again. 

"Emile," the southern accent man began, "Come here." 

The smallest man walked closer. Kol could now see that he wasn't a man after all. He was a boy. No older than 17. His curly black hair fell over one eye. His eye. Something about his eye was alluring. He supposed that it was blue, but they looked far to light to be blue. They looked more silver or white. A blue-tinted metallic white. There was something about him that seemed alien. His thin figure with strong arms, his chiseled jawline, prominent cheekbones, thin face, curly black hair, his eerily pale skin, his eye. But it wasn't just his appearance. He had a certain otherworldly essence. 

The southern-accent man handed the knife to Emile. Emile took it hesitantly and swallowed. He was scared. 

"Your name is Kaleb Westphall, you are a witch, you are part of our coven."

He felt a sharp burning pain, and then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll hopefully be a new chapter out soon!


	5. The Skies Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **It's funny.** He thought. **You always get everything you always wanted right before you lose it all.**

When Kol woke, Emile was standing silently beside him. 

"You passed out. I'm used to torturing vampires, they don't pass out as easily," the southern man began. "My apologies, Kaleb."

"I'm not Kaleb, you psycho," kol replied. 

"You will be."

"You seriously think that you can just magically turn me into Kaleb?"

"Not magically. If we continue to induce pain while telling you that you're Kaleb, you'll begin to believe what we tell you."

Kol laughed, which cause the others to look at him.

"Then that won't really be Kaleb, will it? It'll be me. I'll just think I'm Kaleb."

The man glared at him. "No. You are Kaleb."

"Okay. Well, good luck with your little experiment. But, um, spoiler alert! It's not gonna work."

The southern accent man glares at him and then spoke. "Emile. It's your turn." 

The tall thin kid with Raven-black hair stepped forward, knife in hand. He gripped the blade tightly. 

There were probably better things to think about at that time (like how to escape), but Kol could only think about what had happened before all of this. He had died. He died in the arms of his siblings and the girl he loved. **It's funny.** He thought. **You always get everything you always wanted right before you lose it all.** All he could think about was how he had died. How he was hungry, thirsty, tired, and how he hurt. How human. 

He felt the blade slice the skin on his collar bone. It ran down from his collar bone and down to his hip. It was light. Not enough to leave a huge scar, but enough to hurt. Enough to bleed. Emile dropped the knife suddenly and Kol watched as drops of blood hit the floor. The boy reached out his hand and placed it on Kol's ribs. It burned instantly, leaving a red handprint steaming on his skin. This time, he let out a short scream. He didn't want to show weakness, but sometimes that was hard. 

"How the hell did you do that?" Kol snapped.

Emile simply stared him directly in the eyes. 

"Hm? I asked you a question. Are you gonna answer?" Kol continued. Emile was silent. "Talk you coward!" 

"Shut up!" Southern accent man finally shouted. "He's a mute, you idiot," he glared at Kol and then continued. "You will not speak to him that way. He is the most powerful witch we've seen in hundreds of years. He could tear you apart with a flick of the wrist."

"I don't believe that for a second," Kol barked. 

"You should." 

The taller woman stepped closer. She was the same as Kol had remembered. Dark skin, big hair, red leather jacket. 

"Don't think I won't kill you. I don't care if Kaleb is in there."

"Don't act so smug. We all know you couldn't kill me. You're not strong enough," Kol said smugly. 

"No, Mikaelson, you're not strong enough to kill me," the tall women said. She pressed the palm of her hand firmly on his bruised (If not broken) ribs. "You're not a vampire anymore, remember that, Mikaelson. You're fragile and breakable," she pressed harder of his ribs. "You are so easily hurt. It would take nothing for me to kill you."


	6. All My Love

Klaus sat at the bar, drink in hand. Camille walked up and sat next to him.   
He glanced over. 

"Klaus," she began. "I'm sorry." 

"Why?" He said softly. 

"Everything that's happened." 

Klaus looked down at the frost on the side of his glass. 

"We should go for a walk," she said, standing up. 

He downed the rest is his drink and followed her outside. 

She looked at the vast city below them. "We need to talk."

"About?" 

"I think there's something you've been avoiding saying to me."

Klaus look up at her. "And what's that?" 

"Well, if you don't know, I guess I was wrong."

"And what if I don't say the right thing?" 

"Then, I guess we were both wrong." 

He breathed out deeply and looked her straight in the eyes. "I love you." 

Camille smiled. "I love you." She paused. "But, I can't be with you."

"Why not?" he said with a fading smirk on his face. 

"I know that you love me...but you don't love me the way you love her."

"Who?" 

"That girl. Caroline. The one from your hometown. I know that you still love her."

"Cam-" he began.

"I already know that you do. You don't have to lie to me. I just don't want to be the second best. I want to be the only one, Klaus. I want to be the only one you want. You just want me because you can't have her," she explained. "And that's okay."   
She smiled before starting to walk back. 

"Wait," he shouted. 

She continued walking and pulled out her phone. "Hey, Rebekah, I need a favor."


	7. A Beautiful Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of digging up Kol's grave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating in so long :( Here's a short one

Elijah caught her just seconds before she fell. She could feel his strong arms around her torso. _Perks of being a vampire, _she thought.__

“Thanks,” Davina said reluctantly. 

Elijah gave a slight nod in response. 

“So...” she began, “he's alive.” 

“Maybe,” Elijah added. 

“Maybe? The grave is empty, Elijah!” 

“Yes, and corpses don't just get up and walk away.” 

Davina frowned at him. 

He continued, “point being, there are far more reasonable conclusions. For all we know it could be a grave robber.”

“Don't grave robbers usually steal what's buried with the bodies? Not the bodies themselves?” 

“Of coarse not. But it's more likely that it's a drunk college student than some infamous grave robber of New Orleans.”

“A drunk grave robber is more likely than your ancient dead, witch, ex-vampire brother coming back to life? This would, technically, be the third time, by the way.”

“Alright, yes. Logically thinking, it's probably more likely that my dead brother's corpse got up and walked away.”

“Are you being sarcastic? I can never tell with you. You always look serious.” 

“I'm not being sarcastic,” Elijah said calmly. 

“Forever and always,” she began. “That's what you promised. Not just to Klaus and Rebekah, you swore forever and always with Kol, too.”

Elijah looked down. “I know.”

“Then, please...Help me find him.”

“Don't act like you're the only one who cares about him, Davina. He's been my little brother for over a thousand years.”

“Yeah, over a thousand years of neglect and being locked in a box by your psychotic brother. You'll always choose Rebekah and Klaus over him. Always.” 

Elijah looked her deeply in the eye. It was an earnest, almost cold look. It made a shiver run down her spine. 

“Don't ever doubt my loyalty to my family. I will help you find him, but we do it the way I say.”

Davina nodded slowly. “But we don't tell Klaus.”


	8. Old Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline experiences a life changing event. Kol suffers. Again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating :((( my computer deleted all of my documents, so I had to rewrite everything (including this chapter). 
> 
> And I'm gonna try and update every Wednesday from now on.

It was nearly 3:00 PM when Caroline received the call. She knew who it was the second she saw the number. Rebekah. 

“What the hell do you want, Rebekah?” she snapped, answering her phone. 

“I was just wondering if you were free,” she said, that familiar accent used in such brutal way (she really did hate how Rebekah’s accent made every snarky comment she made sound cruel). 

“Free?”

 

“Yes. For the next, I don’t know, few thousand years?”

Caroline sighed. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kol spit blood onto the ground. “Motherfucker,” he muttered. 

The woman in the red leather jacket, Raelynn (as he overheard), walked closer to him. 

“Don’t think we haven’t heard you, Mikaelson,” she snickered. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kol replied, a thin stream of blood dripping down his chin. 

“You’ve been whispering little incantations under your breath. But, it won’t work. Those restraints are spelled.”

Kol bit his lip, the taste of blood still in his mouth. It was so strange now. Blood meant pain, now. It meant broken bones and and bruises and pain. Then, it meant the hunger. God, the hunger. He was always so, so terrible at controlling it (maybe just because he hurt too much to try and control it). But, that wasn’t the worst part.The overwhelming hunger that took over him; that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst part was when he didn’t desperately need to feed. It was how that hunger never really went away. Eating away at his insides. Whispering, softly, “blood, blood, blood.” 

Kol’s thoughts were interrupted by a swift slap to the face. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline took a deep breath before knocking on Elena’s door. It’s your life. Your decision. Not anyone else's. She was going to keep repeating that in her head until she believed it (she still didn’t).   
Elena opened the door and smiled. “Caroline, hi!” She reached out to hug her. Caroline recoiled.  
“Car, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” 

“No! no..Yeah, maybe,” she said, tumbling over her words. “I don’t know.” 

A concerned look swept over Elena’s face. So typically Elena. Furrowed brows and pitying eyes. 

“Come in. Sit down,” she invited, already taking a seat on the couch. Caroline sat down, cautiously. Her head felt like it was going to explode. There were so many thoughts rushing through her head, that it was like she wasn’t thinking anything at all. 

She gave Elena her typical Caroline look (she had taken time to perfect it). Wide eyes and raised brows, yet the rest of her features seemed energetic, yet not surprised. She sighed. “RebekahcalledmeandaskedmetomovetoNewOrleanswithherandKlausbecausehe’schangedorsoemthingandIdon’tknowwhattodo!” she shouted. 

“Caroline! Slow down. I can’t understand anything you’re saying.” 

Caroline fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. “Rebekah called me.” 

“Rebekah? As in Rebekah Mikaelson? As in psychotic Rebekah Mikaelson who tried to kill me? Multiple times.”

Caroline’s voice grew quieter. “Yeah, that one.” 

“Why?” Elena asked, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. 

Elena’s concentration on the conversation really didn’t ease the twisting anxiety in Caroline’s stomach. Why did she feel like that, anyways? Why the hell was she even talking to Elena about this? It’s not like she was actually considering going. And she certainly was not thinking about fluffy, ginger hair, or piercing blue eyes, or the scent of spring time. Wildflowers and sandalwood. Light yet musky. No, she most definitely wasn’t thinking about that. Not soft, pink lips upturned into a smirk. Not s- She shoved those thoughts as far back in her head as she could. 

“She wants me to go to New Orleans.” 

“What? Why? What’s going on over there?” Elena sputtered. 

“Just...to stay there. To live there, I guess…” 

“But you’re not going, right?” 

Of course Elena wouldn’t want her to go. Caroline didn’t even want to go (then again, maybe she was secretly hoping Elena would tell her to go). 

“I don’t know.” 

Elena leaned forward in her seat, looking Caroline in the eye. They stared at eachother, tensely, before Elena spoke. Caroline was expecting her to say: “No, don’t go. There’s nothing for you there! Stay here.”   
But, instead, she said: 

“Do you want to?” 

Caroline let those thoughts freely flood her mind. 

-slender fingers gently caressing her body. Pale skin and a beautiful accent.

“Yes.”


	9. Watching the Night Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina and Elijah find a way to search for Kol, but Davina doesn't know how to react to Kol's supposed resurrection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! So, I finally got my computer back, so no more writing on my phone. Woohoo!! My files still got deleted though :(  
> I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter. Tell me what you think in the comments!

“Where do we start?” 

“Hm?” Elijah asked, looking down at the smaller girl. 

“You said that we’ll do it the way you want, so, what is it? How do we find him?” Davina snarked. 

Elijah wanted find his brother. Obviously, he did. But, he didn’t have any plan at all. He just made Davina agree to follow his plan so she wouldn’t run off and get herself killed (if Kol really was alive, he’d never forgive him for that). 

“The spirits,” he said, matter-of-factly. 

Davina raised a brow. “The...spirits?” 

“You’re an ancestral witch. You can communicate with the ancestors, right?” 

“Yeah, I guess,” she nodded, obviously still confused. “How’s that gonna help us find Kol?” 

“You could do a locater spell, correct?” 

“I mean...yeah? I’m not sure the ancestors would help me, though. They hate Kol.”

“But you can try?” Elijah asks, the same serious expression on his face. 

“Yeah, I can try.” 

So Elijah got iron filings and a map, and Davina got the last ingredient. An object that belonged to Kol. It was a beautiful, polished, stone carving of a man and a woman. Kol had made it with his magic as a kid. He told her about it one night, with his arms wrapped around her waist and the dim light of the candle contouring his face. He said it was like many other nights from his childhood. Him, alone, practicing magic. That night only stood out from the rest because of the carving. Because, for the first time, he created something beautiful with his magic. Because, that night, he didn’t feel so alone. He said he had felt as Davina had then. Like magic had wrapped it’s warm arms around him and held him until he fell asleep.  
He gave the carving to Davina the next day. He said that if they were ever apart, if he could never hold her in his arms, that maybe the carving would give her that same feeling.  
It hadn’t. She had held it every night since Kol died. Huddled on the couch, carving in hand, tears streaming down her face. She would wake up in her bed the next morning. It didn’t take long for her to figure out that it was Josh that had moved her every night.  
She tucked it into her coat pocket and walked back to the graveyard. 

“I got everything that you asked for. Are you ready, Davina?” Elijah asked. His voice sounded the same as the weather. Cold and gray and monotonous. Which, coincidentally, was exactly how she felt. 

For some reason, she wasn’t happy or excited once she found out that Kol was alive. Maybe she wouldn’t feel like that until he was safe in her arms. Maybe not until she knew it was real. Or maybe just once they found his location. She could settle for that. 

“Davina?” Elijah said softly, interrupting her thoughts. 

“Sorry...I guess I just spaced out,” she replied. “But, yeah. I’m ready.”

So they set everything up just the way Davina said. 

Davina tried to clear her mind. 

Blocking out the anxiety that had curled itself around her brain, making her head pound, she began the spell. 

"Ce che vous, pro la busque," she began. "Ce che vous, pro la busque. Ce che vous, pro la busque." 

Elijah watched as the iron filings gathered together on a map of Louisiana. They all formed a little circle around the small, black printed word. Houma. Kol was in Houma, Louisiana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next week! or maybe sooner? idk I'm really excited for the next chapter, so I might post it sooner. We'll see.


	10. How Old is Your Soul?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline struggles with making a final decision and telling her friends. Elijah and Davina go on a road trip. Kol struggles accepting everything that has happened. Angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why didn't I update on Wednesday? Because I'm a terrible person.  
> Sorry for the superrr late update. Hopefully I won't have a mental breakdown and not finish the chapter again. 
> 
> This is also like the longest chapter that I've ever posted? I'm pretty sure? 
> 
> (I'm waiting for a situation where I can actually write Elijah in character tbh??? like he's really ooc in this but whatever)

Caroline was packing her bags when she heard a knock on her door. She rushed out of the room, golden sandals pattering against the hardwood floors. She turned the cold doorknob and swung the heavy door open. Glowing brown skin and short hair and big eyes. 

“Caroline, what the hell?” Bonnie snapped. She couldn’t really tell if she was angry or not. 

“Bon, I’m sorry for not telling you.” She looked down at her feet. “I was going to. I just didn’t know how to tell you.” 

Her face was hot and pink with shame. She should’ve told Bonnie right away, but she knew how she felt about the Mikaelsons. Or anything having to do with vampires and such, really. She was scared how she would react. Bonnie was difficult like that. Even after all these years, she couldn’t read her.  
That was another thing. She had known Bonnie since she was a kid. How could she leave her behind? How could she leave any of them behind? This was her home town. Mystic Falls. Simple, small, beautiful, dangerous Mystic Falls. But, maybe, just maybe it was time for a change. Time for another adventure. Time for New Orleans.

“Elena told you?” 

It was barely even a question. Obviously it was Elena. Elena was terrible at hiding secrets (not as bad as Caroline, admittedly). Especially from Bonnie. 

“Matt,” Bonnie said, frowning. “I mean, C’mon. You told Matt before me?” 

Matt. That had gone over better than she had expected.

“You’re leaving?” he had asked. “You’re going to New Orleans? You’re going to New Orleans for Klaus Mikaelson?” 

The way he said his name had sent chills down her spine.

Yes. Klaus Mikaelson. 

What was she thinking? Matt was right! She was going to New Orleans for Klaus. Why did that seem like a good idea? Klaus fucking Mikaelson! He killed so many people. People she loved. Why would Elena tell her to go, if that was what she wanted? Why wouldn’t her friend tell her to stay away from him? 

And then the answer to her question had walked into the room. 

“Bourbon, Donovan,” Damon had said, dramatically taking the seat at the end. 

“Hello to you too,” matt had muttered as he poured the drink. “We still need to talk about this, Caroline,” he’d said, louder that time. 

“What’re we talking about?” asked Damon, who had been busy throwing darts. 

“Nothing that involves you,” she remembered Matt saying, while handing Damon the drink. 

“Actually, it might,” she had admitted. “He’s gonna find out sooner or later, Matt.” She had turned her head to Damon. “Whether we like it or not.” 

“So?” he had asked. 

Damn him and his handsome face and devilish grin. 

“I think...I think I’m moving.”

“Moving? Damn,” he’d began. “The vampire barbie leaving Mystic Falls. What, did you get tired of looking at that fucking hero hair all day? I sure am. But, alas, I’m stuck here.” 

“It has nothing to do with your brother, Damon.”

“What she means by that is: stop being an asshole,” Matt had added. 

As if Caroline Forbes, of all people, wasn’t capable of calling Damon Salvatore an asshole. Really, Matt?

“No, what I meant was: It has nothing to do with your brother, Damon. I’m perfectly capable of speaking for myself, Matt,” she had snarked. She was rather proud of that. “And, Damon, stop being an asshole. See? “ 

“Where to?” Damon had asked, changing the subject.

Caroline considered not telling him, but, like she had said to Matt, he would find out anyways. 

“New Orleans,” she had said, after mustering up enough courage to admit it. 

“New orleans? What the hell? Isn’t that where-” he began, before he had gotten interrupted by Caroline. 

“Where Klaus...um, the Mikaelsons live. Yeah.” 

“So, you’re going to live with the Mikaelsons?” he laughed. “That sounds like a fuckin’ soap opera!” 

And of course Damon was why Elena didn’t beg Caroline to stay. Because Damon and Klaus were so similar. Elena Gilbert saved Damon from the darkness inside of him (at least partially), so of course Elena would think that, maybe, just maybe, Caroline could save Klaus, too. And Caroline had been the first one to see the possibility of redemption. “Anybody capable of love is capable of being saved,” she had said. And, in that moment, she meant it. Maybe she still did. Maybe that’s why she wanted to go to New Orleans. To save him. 

Why did every thought in Caroline’s head have to start with ‘why’ or ‘maybe’? Why was she so unsure of what she was feeling all the time? Why did it only take one phone call for her to start packing bags and leaving everything she had ever known behind? Why did she feel so drawn to Niklaus Mikaelson? Why did he always look so broken? Why did she always want to find out? Why did she always want to fix him? Why, why, why, why? 

“Oh...Matt,” she said, snapping back to reality. 

“Yeah. Matt,” Bonnie replied, looking away as if she couldn’t stand to look at her. “Why didn’t you tell me first, Caroline? Why did I have to come to your house?” 

“I didn’t know how you’d react, Bon. I’m sorry. I just… I know how much you hate the Mikaelsons,” she said with that classic Caroline look that was too cute not to forgive her. 

“Do you want to go for him? For Klaus?” her friend asked. 

And that was all it took. Jesus, even if she wasn’t a witch, she’d still be fucking magical. All it took was for Bonnie to ask her the same question that had been floating around in CAroline’s head all day. And now she knew the answer. 

“No. I’m going for me.”

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Houma, Louisiana isn’t very specific,” Elijah said. “That’s, what? 20 square miles to cover?”

“14.2. And 2 of those square miles are water,” she answered, looking up from her phone. “And the drive from here is about and hour and 20 minutes, so we should get going.”

“Get going? We have no plan and no idea where my dear brother could be. We should stay here until we come up with an unassailable plan.”

“Unassailable? This isn’t the 14th century anymore, you know. And, like you said, we don’t know where Kol is. So, I think that getting in the car, going out there and looking for him is a better use of our time, yeah?” 

Elijah sighed, but he agreed. Sitting here thinking up a plan wouldn’t do much good, considering that the only information that they had was that he was in Houma. 

Why was his brother in Houma, anyways? If Kol had climbed up out of his own grave and then buried his own coffin again, why on god’s green earth would he immediately go to Houma, Louisiana? As far as he was aware, his brother had never even stepped foot in the place. He truly was starting to believe Davina’s story of his brother being taken. He didn’t want to admit that he agreed, though. Poor Davina hadn’t been thinking clearly, so how could he agree with her, only to fuel her twisted fantasy? But it was looking more likely that it wasn’t the fantasy of a girl mourning the loss (or supposed return) of her beloved, but the actual truth. Well, it looked like the only heroic act Elijah would have to pull today was saving his brother. He found himself rather relieved. 

“Very well. I suppose it’s time for a roadtrip, then.” 

Davina smiled. 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Davina walked just outside the cemetery. Elijah had driven back, so his car was already parked there. 

She had never really paid that much attention to his car before. It’s dark and sleek. Maybe a Mercedes, she thought. But, she could’ve sworn she had seen him drive a Porsche before. He probably owns both. Rich bastards. 

Swinging her bag over her shoulder, she opened the car door. She was glad that she kept an extra pair of clothes and her basic necessities in her bag, because she wasn’t sure how long they’d be gone. Which would be hard explaining to Klaus. But, still, he couldn’t know. She wouldn’t let him get in the way. Not of this. 

Elijah, who had suddenly appeared next to her, shuffled into the car. But it was much more elegant than she thought was humanly possible (because he’s not human). 

“Are you ready, Davina?” he said, his voice smooth like silk, rich like dark chocolate. 

Elijah started the car when she nodded slightly. 

And it felt like forever before either of them spoke (she learned later that it had only been ten minutes). 

“You know, Davina,” Elijah began. “I feel that Klaus could aid us in the search for Kol.”

“No,” she said flatly. 

“Davina. I don’t understand why you continue to resent him. He’s done bad things, yes. But you’re sitting in a car with me. Do you know what things I’ve done? Horrible things. Just like Klaus. Kol has, too. And Klaus hasn’t had any easy life. Our father beat him. He hated him. Our mother betrayed him. Our whole family let him down. I let him down. Everyone told him he was a beast, and he started to believe it. Maybe, if I had tried to convince him otherwise, he wouldn’t have become one. So, I beg of you, Davina, please. Don’t make me choose between your trust and my brother.” 

Elijah kept his eyes on the road, but he could see Davina look down out of the corners of his eyes. 

He could barely hold still in his seat and his hands had started shaking lightly. Starting in his stomach, a searing pain made its way up his body. Wrapping around his waist, his back, his chest. It was a familiar feeling. Too familiar. He just hoped that he managed to get a blood bag (or, hell, even some kind of rodent) before the pain reached his brain. Elijah could withstand a lot, but even the strongest of vampires couldn’t stand the hunger forever. 

He pretended that he couldn’t feel it like Klaus or Kol or Rebekah. Like he was above that. But he wasn’t. He could just as easily succumb to the thirst as Niklaus or Rebekah (Kol was far more bloodthirsty). 

But even with his fancy suit and slick hair and expensive car and philosophical words and a high reputation of being absurdly noble, he was only a monster 

Davina must have noticed how twitchy he was, because she gently placed her hand on his. 

“What’s wrong?”

Elijah looked over at her for a second, and then looked back to the road. “Nothing. Don't worry about it.” 

“Those are two very different things,” Davina argued. 

“I'm fine.”

After about 20 minutes of sitting in silence, Elijah stopped at a liquor store and got a bottle of whiskey, which seemed like such a Klaus thing to do (she also assumed that the liquor was so that he could put up with her). 

“What do you know about Houma, Davina?” Elijah finally asked. 

“What makes you think I know anything about Houma, Louisiana?” Davina said defensively. 

“You’re reaction, first of all.”

“What do you know about it?”

 

Elijah took another swig of the whiskey. “Nothing. In all these years, I don’t recall ever going there. Which is why it’s so peculiar that Kol is there,” he said. “What do you know about it?” 

“I’ve never been there,” she began. “But I have a friend there.”

“A friend?” Elijah asked with a raised brow. 

“Yeah. His name is Armando Mendoza. He’s a witch. He moved here recently. All I know is that there aren’t really many vampires there. At all. Houma is mostly just witches. The interesting thing about Houma is that there are several small covens, rather than a few larger ones. But I have no idea why Kol would be there.”

“You’re sure that your friend doesn’t have something to do with it?”

“Armando? No way. He’s harmless,” she said, taking a sip of her water. “Why’re you interrogating me anyways, asshole?” 

“What did you say?!” Elijah sputtered. 

“I called you an asshole! Just because everyone seems to think that you’re all noble and good doesn’t mean that I believe it. I know that you, Elijah Mikaelson, are an asshole. Just like the rest of your family,” she barked. 

When Elijah didn’t say anything else, she just stared out of the window. Elijah did the same. And they continued that way, until Davina burst out laughing. It took her a moment to realise that Elijah was laughing softly, too. She couldn’t ever recall seeing Elijah laugh before. It was oddly cute. The corners of his eyes wrinkled (Kol does that when he smiles), and little dimples appeared on his cheeks (Kol didn’t like his dimples, but she always thought that they were adorable). 

“I fear that this is going to be a very long trip,” Elijah said with a smile, and took a larger sip from the bottle. 

“Why’d you get that, anyways? It’s illegal to drink and drive, ya know,” she teased. 

Elijah’s phone began ringing in the cup holder next to him. 

“That’s why,” Elijah explained, picking up the phone. “Yes, Klaus?” 

Davina only heard slight muttering on the other end. 

“I’m afraid that I cannot tell you that, brother,” Elijah said. “I believe that you would more benefit from speaking to Davina. Don’t you agree, Davina?” he said, looking her in the eyes. 

She took the phone with a sigh. “What do you want, Klaus?” 

“May I know why you’re with my brother, little witch?” the redhead asked bitterly. 

“No you may not.”

“May I at least know his whereabouts?”

“No.”

“Now, now. Don’t be difficult, little witch. You don’t want to see me agitated, now do you?” 

She could practically feel his smirk through the phone. 

“I can’t tell you. Elijah will be fine. Just stay out of our way,” she said, not even waiting for a response before shoving the phone back in Elijah’s hand. 

“Brother, why did you call? Mh-hm. Why is it that I don’t believe you, Niklaus?” he said sharply, and hung up. 

“Why did he call in the first place?” she asked softly. 

“He claims that all he wanted to know is where I’ve been.”

Davina sunk in her seat. Elijah was right about the trip being very long. She just wanted to be there. She wanted to be with Kol. She just wanted to know what was going on. Why did she never understand anything? 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kol’s eye twitched slightly. And, right now, his eyes felt like the only part of his body that he could move. Everything else hurt. His abdomen was caked in blood. It stung from the cuts and ached from the bruises. His ribs hurt more and more with every heaving breath. His pounding head sleek with sweat and blood, his arms sore and his wrists bruised from the restraints. His legs shaking after all the strain put on them from the involuntary jolting forward. Hell, even his fingers hurt. Maybe they were broken? And his stomach. His throat. His lungs. His stomach from hunger, his throat from dehydration, and his lungs from screaming. 

But what hurt possibly more than any of that, was a pain deeper inside him. In his soul. Would he ever see his family again? His sister with flowing blonde hair and bright eyes and a kiss like poison? His brother with eyes like the sea (deep and blue and deadly), hair like fire, and a grin like the devil? His eldest brother with eyes as dark as the night sky, love as bright as summer days, hate as dreadful as roaring flames, and a face so easily softened by joy or pride? And what truly ached was the realization that he might never see her again. The brunette girl with tan skin, chocolate eyes, soft pink lips (god, he wanted to kiss them again), a smile brighter than the sun, and a voice like thunder. She seemed like an illusion in a place like this. All dirt and blood and old wood. It smelled like moss and mildew and she smelled like lavender and honey. 

What if she was an illusion? No, she was real. He knew it. But what if she wasn’t? What if it was all a lie? What if his fierce brothers and sister really were illusions? What if Davina Claire was nothing but a lie? 

The smell of lavender and honey began to fade. The touch of her soft skin replaced by the cold sting of the steel chair. A tear slipped down his cheek as he watched her slowly disappear. His Davina. His Da-

“Who are you?” the accent man said, lifting the younger boy’s chin up slightly with his knife. 

“K..K...” Kol stuttered. “Kaleb.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative titles: 
> 
> • Elijah and Davina go on a road trip together  
> •which goes about as well as you'd expect  
> •Elijah's all TAKE A FUCKIN SIP BABES  
> •wow Stefan is actually mentioned in this chapter  
> •bonnie is pissed  
> •you guys are probably pissed too  
> •matt actually knows whats going on for once??  
> •Caroline doesn't  
> •LET DAMON SAY FUCK 2K17  
> •please don't show up to my house with pitchforks  
> •I'm sorry


	11. You've come so far

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kol has lived for thousands of years. Can all of that truly be erased so suddenly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! So, despite the fact that I spent almost the entire day in the car, I manged to post the update. 
> 
> And, again, please don't kill me.

“Kol!” a distant voice shouted. 

Kol was sitting on the old wooden floor when he heard it. The building was a small wooden house that had been abandoned for as long as he could remember. It was shabby and smelled of must and animal feces, but it was more like home than anywhere else in his village. More than his own house. Because his home was full of cruel words and his siblings whispering in the night, and Kol was not meant to be part of that. Not the hatred of his father, the love between his siblings, or his mother’s affection. Kol just didn’t fit. He was the extra piece of the puzzle. The one that nobody wanted. 

But, when he was alone in that house, he never really felt alone. Because he was surrounded by magic. Whether it was creating little figures in the flame of a candle or simply lighting one, he felt like he belonged. 

Of course, sometimes he desperately didn’t want to be alone. Sometimes he wanted to be loved. To be part of a family. Why is it that they only noticed him when he was violent and hateful? 

But at that moment, he was scribbling down incantations and ingredients for several different spells. 

“Kol!” another voice shouted. 

Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, and Henrik swung the door open, stumbling into the old building. 

“Kol, are you in here?” Rebekah said softly.

Kol let the quill clatter to the floor as he lit all the candles in the room. He pretended not to be surprised at his sudden ability to light so many all at once. 

What were they doing in here? 

“Bekah?” he replied even softer. 

The four children scurried over to their brother, smiles plastered to their faces. Klaus was clutching something in both his hands, holding them up to his chest. But Kol couldn't move his gaze from the purple bruise that had spread it’s way across his older brother’s jawline.. 

Klaus stretched out his arms when Elijah gave him a reassuring nod. He opened his hands, revealing a small piece of bone tied to a leather band. It had a carving on it. A vegvisir, Kol recognized. To his understanding, it meant that, if carried, the carrier would never lose their way. Not in storms or bad weather. Even when the way was completely unknown. Klaus slipped it around Kol’s neck. 

“Happy birthday, big brother,” Henrik said, beaming up at him. 

He ruffled his little brother’s hair. 

Kol gave them his typical smirk, followed by a shy sounding “thank you”. 

“You're welcome, Kaleb,” Elijah responded. 

Kol’s eyes shot up. “What?” 

“I said you're welcome, Kaleb,” he said again. 

He could feel panic rising in his chest. His breaths becoming unsteady and ragged. 

“Kaleb.” 

Kol tried to speak, but no words came out. 

“Kaleb, wake up.”

Kol jolted awake. 

“Ah, good. You remember who you are?” The southern accent man asked, inches from Kol’s face. 

“K-Kaleb. Kaleb Westphall.”

“Ah, yes. Good,” he said with a toothy grin. “Now, if I let you out of those restraints, you ain't gonna pull nothin, are you, Kaleb?” 

Kol shook his head. 

All the man said was, “good, good,” 

Raelynn walked over hesitantly. Not scared, but angry. Of course she wouldn't approve of letting him out of the restraints. She had been the one who was ready to kill him since the beginning. 

With a bitter glare, she slowly unbuckled the restraints on his wrists. Then his ankles. Then, even slower, she undid the one around his waist. 

Kol stood up carefully. The floor seemed to sway under his feet. Finally catching his balance, he walked slightly closer to the accent man. 

“Kaleb?” He asked with furrowed brows. 

Kol looked him in the eyes with a look sharp enough to cut. 

“My name’s Kol.” 

Kol's fist connected to his face. Before he knew what was happening, Kol twisted the man’s arm around, grabbing his hunting knife. But he let out a small grunt as blood dripped from his wounds. 

He held the knife out in front of him as the rest of the coven walked towards him. 

“Put the knife down, boy. Don't do nothin you'll regret. Nobody needs to get hurt,” the man said from the floor. 

“I think it's a little too late for that, Angus,” Raelynn laughed. Kol didn't blame her. Nobody needs to get hurt?

Raelynn continued to approach Kol while halfheartedly running her finger through her Afro. 

“Cmon, kid. Just hand over the knife and get this over with.” 

Kol gripped the knife tighter in his hand. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused as hard as he could. 

Raelynn didn't even flinch as her friends were sent hurtling back into the wall. 

“Nice one, kid,” she complimented. She obviously didn't seem at all threatened by Kol. He would definitely change that. 

He swung his knife at her, just barely cutting her cheek as she attempted to dodge it. 

Just as he was about to take another swing at her, he dropped the knife with a yelp. The handle turned hot and red by magic. Raelynn smirked.

Kicking him hard in the abdomen, she watched as he collapsed to the floor. Kol reached his arm out just far enough for her to trip over, as she moved in closer.  
Kol scurried across the floor as fast as he could. Desperately searching for the knife. Once it was in his grasp, he held the cold knife against her throat. It almost slipped in his sweaty hands. 

“You said that I'm fragile and breakable,”  
He snarled from behind closed teeth. “That I’m easily hurt. That it'd take nothing for you to kill me.” 

Raelynn clenched her jaw. 

“That's what you said! You said that I'm not strong enough to kill you! Well, here we are now! I'm going to kill you. And I'm going to make it slow and painful and bloody. And I promise you, you'll regret saying what you did,” he spat. 

Kol wasn't used to fighting dirty. But now wasn't the time for him to worry about any aesthetics. 

He pressed it closer to her throat, feeling the blade tempting to cut the skin. 

“Stop!” 

Kol turned just slightly, only to see Emile standing just feet away from him, gun pointed at Kol. 

The blonde girl (who was practically clinging to Emile’s leg) was the one who had yelled (Kol almost forgot that Emile couldn't have yelled). 

Emile looked scared. His hands were shaking again. Why did he always look scared? 

“Don't hurt her!” the blonde wailed. 

Kol had died before. Twice. Three times, technically speaking. And each one seemed so obvious. Betrayed by Finn and his Mother, killed by none other than Jeremy Gilbert. Second time, he had been betrayed by Finn. Again. So he could imagine how it would finally end. How he would die for the last time. Betrayal or being killed while fighting by his family's side, probably. But, not once did he ever guess that his fate would be written on the metal cylinder of a .22 caliber bullet. 

Emile pulled the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so  
> 1) I absolutely suck at writing fight scenes ok  
> 2) Vikings didn't really have birthdays...but don't question it  
> 3) I really, really appreciate comments! so tell me what you think! <3
> 
> Until next time, fam.


	12. We Didn't Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina and Elijah arrive in Houma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super short chapter. Also, I am in fact aware that this chapter is lowkeye boring. I'm sorry :(

Davina found herself staring out the window at the quickly passing green trees, with branches hanging low under the weight of the spanish moss. Violent wind rolling through the green grass and disappearing into the deep blue sky. 

It wasn’t the bright lights and constant music and art that she was used to in New Orleans, but it still had that familiar Louisiana feel. 

She loved everything about New Orleans. She loved how some people pronounced it New Or-lins and some people pronounced it New Or-leans. She loved the constant business of the city. Everywhere you looked, something was going on. Live music, art shows, parties, street performers. There was never a quiet moment in New Orleans. 

She wondered what it was like where Kol had lived. Mystic falls. A little town in Virginia, if she remembered correctly. 

She watched Elijah furrow his brows as thick fog curled itself around the trees and car. 

Her heart beat steadily in her chest, but an uneasy feeling had settled in her stomach. And the uneasy feeling was a strange one. She was both anxious and numb at the same time. 

“We’re almost there,” Elijah said softly. 

Davina only offered a halfhearted smile in response. 

She was too focused on Kol too think of anything else to say. That’s why she felt so numb, yet her mind was filled with worries, she decided. Because of Kol. Because she had been forced to live without him for a year and now she was gonna see him again. Because whenever she closed her eyes, even just to blink, she saw him. His smile. Him laughing. Them dancing in the graveyard. And then every went red. 

“Here we are,” Elijah said, sounding rather satisfied. 

She watched as he pulled into the parking lot of a large tan and red building with the words “Hampton Inn” written in swirled, red letters on the front. 

“What’re we doing here?” she snapped. 

“We need somewhere to stay, Davina. I know that you want to go and look for Kol.”

“Yeah, I do,” she scoffed. 

“But, we have no way of knowing how long it’s going to take.”

“Fine,” she said as she got out of the car, swinging her bag over her shoulder, and hurrying out of the parking lot, leaving Elijah behind her. 

He appeared quickly beside her. 

Davina examined the room as they walked in. Light brown wood floors, ivory walls, small square tables with colorful chairs, and a little coffee station to the right of the front desk. 

As they approached the sleek black desk, a tall woman turned around, long red hair trailing behind her. 

“Hello!” she said, almost too cheerfully. “You need a room?” 

“Yes. One night, for now,” Elijah said, pulling his intimidating, charismatic Mikaelson charm. 

“Alright,” she said with pink, flushed cheeks. “Two queens or…”

“Yes! Two beds,” Davina interrupted.

“Of course. Right. You’ll be on floor 2! Room 127,” she said, handing him two keycards. “ There’s free wifi, a coffee maker, and a workplace in your room. There’s also a gym just down the hall from here. And your total will be about 120 dollars.” 

He handed her his credit card. Davina was too busy looking around the room to see her scan it and hand it back to him. 

“Just tell me if there’s anything you need,” red-head said with a smile. 

“Of course,” Elijah said back, with a smile. “Davina,” he said, tilting his head slightly towards the elevator. 

She walked over and pressed the “up” button. 

“We’re going to look for Kol after this, right?” she said quietly, but sternly. 

The elevator door opened before them. 

“Yes. That’s why we are here, Davina.” 

Davina glared at him and stepped into the elevator. She pressed the “close door” button in the elevator, without breaking eye contact until the door closed between them. 

“Davina,” Elijah said, surprised. “Davina!” 

When she reached the second floor, she swung her bag off of her sore shoulder and onto her right one. 

She really wasn’t in the mood for Elijah’s sass. Fuck Elijah.

She immediately regretted closing the door on him when she got to the room and realized that Elijah hadn’t given her the keycard. 

“Looking for this?” Elijah sighed from behind her, holding up the card. 

Ignoring her glare, he unlocked the door and held it open for her. 

She walked in, examining the bedroom as well. 

Eggshell walls, like in the lobby. Orange-brown wooden bedframes, a lamp mantled to the wall above a nightstand between the white-sheeted beds, red and gold spiral carpet, matching red bedskirts, tan curtains, a desk to the right of the room (made of the same orange-ish wood), and a tan and black swivel chair. It was better than what she had expected. Then again, she hadn’t really expected much from a $120 hotel in Houma, Louisiana. 

“Excuse me for a moment, Davina,” said Elijah. 

“Whatever,” she responded with a sigh.

Elijah made his way out of the room. Clenching his jaw, he walked hurriedly down the stairs. He opened the back door that led out to the alleyway. The chilled air nipped at his nose and ears, but he paid no heed. All he could think about was the hunger. He spotted a blonde walking alone. Perfect. Catch, feed, erase. 

When he was done, he looked her dead in the eyes and told her to forget what happened. She did. After all these year, feeding could be quite tedious. The same thing happened every time. The girl would scream and struggle, only to then sink into his arms. Then, she would strut away as if nothing even happened. Which, of course, was what she thought. 

He wiped the blood from his lips and walked back upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative titles: 
> 
> • Davina is emo  
> •New Orleans is described in loving detail   
> •Davina is DONE with Elijah's shit  
> •filler chapter tbh
> 
> It'll be more exciting next time! I swear!


	13. When I Look Into Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline arrives in New Orleans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short-ish chapter. Mostly just to set up for later events.

Caroline finished packing her bags. Emphasis on bags. Plural. 

“You really need all that?” Bonnie asked from the doorway.

“Yes! It’s only the basic necessities.” 

“Basic necessities? Car, you just packed like twenty pairs of shoes!” 

“How are shoes not necessary, Bon?” 

“I don’t think twenty pairs is,” Bonnie said with a smile. 

With a sad smile, Bonnie made her way to the bed and sat down. Caroline laid the denim jacket that she had in her hand on top of the other bags, with a soft sigh. She sat down next to her friend and rested her head on her shoulder. 

“You’re really going,then,” the witch began. “Klaus’s gonna get you killed.” 

“I’m not the only one screwing serial killers, Bonnie!” she snapped.

Bonnie stumbled over her words. “W-what?” 

“Kai,” Caroline said, straight faced. 

“I’m not screwing Kai!”

Caroline raised a brow in disbelief.

“I’m not!”

“Fine. Dating.”

Bonnie pursed her lips and shook her head. 

“In love,” Caroline guessed. 

Bonnie only offered a slight scoff. Not a yes, but not a no, either. That was good enough for Caroline. 

“I don’t want you to go.” Bonnie sighed. “But I’m not gonna stop you, either.”

She felt ridiculous as a tear slipped down her cheek. Less so when she saw that Caroline was crying, too. 

“No?”

“No.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elena, Stefan, Bonnie, Matt, and Alaric were all people that she expected to be there. Damon Salvatore and Malachai Parker, on the other hand, were not. You could imagine her surprise when the two showed up at the airport to say goodbye (Yes. Airport. She was leaving already. Was it too soon? Was it all a mistake? She was leaving so soon). 

So they all hugged and cried, but none of them dared to utter the word “Goodbye”. She knew damn well that everyone there was terrified of ‘goodbyes’. Because ‘goodbyes’ meant “I won’t see you again”. And they couldn’t stand to believe that. 

Caroline boarded her plane, and sighed deeply as they took off. Slowly watching the building disappear, she whispered to herself: “Goodbye.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a strange mix of emotions when she landed. Happy, because she was finally off of that dizzying, seemingly neverending plane. Scared, because she was in New Orleans, and the only place for her to go was the Mikaelson’s house. 

New Orleans really was a beautiful city, she realised while walking down the street. Just as Klaus promised. And, normally, she would have enjoyed the scenery, but she was slightly peeved that she had no idea where the Mikaelson’s lived. 

Somebody bumped into her. A young boy with a worried expression of his face. He was clinging a piece of paper to his chest. “Excuse me, miss! Have you seen her?” he asked, holding the paper out in front of her.

It was a photograph. A pretty, young, tanned, brunette girl. 

“No. Sorry.”

“You’re sure? Her name is Davina Claire,” he said, a little louder. 

“I’m sorry. I just moved here like a half an hour ago,” she said. She sounded ridiculously pitying, she realized too late. 

Every instinct inside of Caroline was screaming: “Not human. Not Human. Not human”.   
She let her instincts take over as she grabbed his arm, so he couldn’t walk away. 

“Wait,” she said softly. “You’re a vampire, aren’t you?” she whispered. 

The boy tried to get away desperately. 

“Hey! Hey, it’s okay. I’m a vampire, too!” she practically yelled. Her face turned pink and hot as several people turned to look at her. Choking back her embarrassment, she spoke again, quieter this time. “My name’s Caroline Forbes. You?”

“Josh Rosza,” he answered. 

“Okay, Josh. Maybe we can help eachother out. Why’re you looking for her? She your girlfriend?”

Josh laughed at that. “Noooo. No way,” he giggled. “She’s my bestfriend. I’m gay.”

“Oh…” Caroline said, slightly embarrassed. 

“She’s gone missing. Which, I guess, you probably already assumed. But, anyways, she just lost her boyfriend recently. Not like We’re-breaking-up lost. Like, I-love-you-but-I-died kind of lost. And she’s been a total mess. People have died. Their hearts ripped out and sent to their wive’s in box for god’s sake. But, somehow, all that goes right over her head. Y’know? And my boyfriend died, too. And there’s just been a lot going on in the past, like, two years. So, I’m just worried about her because she’s been gone for two days, now. No word from her. Which is actually pretty typical, because she keeps pushing me away. But, no one has heard from her at all. Which is weird, in my book.”

Caroline took a moment to process the quickly spoken rant. “Okay...well...to me, it sounds like she just needed some time to herself. If she’s not back in a day or two, I’ll help you look, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks…” he said, looking slightly disappointed. 

“So, think you could help me now? Maybe? Please?”

“Yeah. what?” he responded quickly. 

“I’m looking for a rather popular family of vampires here in New Orleans. The Mikaelsons. Maybe you’ve heard of them?”

“Heard of them? They compelled me to be their spy! And Davina’s boyfriend was a Mikaelson. So, I guess now we’re like...Frenemies.”

Caroline chose to ignore the compelling to be their spy part. Her boyfriend? He died? “One of them died? Who?” she snapped. 

“Kol. Kol Mikaelson.”

“Kol? He’s dead.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“No. you don’t understand. He died in Mystic Falls. Jeremy killed him.”

“You’re from Mystic Falls? You’re THAT Caroline? Klaus’s Caroline?”

For some reason, that sounded so right. Klaus’s Caroline. “I’m not Klaus’s anything. But, yeah.”

“Oh shit! Oh, and about Kol...He came back to life. Their dead mother brought them back.”

“Wait...So who all is alive?”

“Rebekah, Elijah, Klaus, and Finn, I think. Finn’s the one who killed Kol, too.”

Caroline felt like she could finally breathe when she heard Klaus’s name.

“So, can you take me to them?” caroline asked, looking Josh in the eye. 

“Yeah. Follow me.”

Caroline followed him for what seemed like forever, until they reached a house. 

The house was big and beautiful. Expensive looking. Which it probably was, considering it belonged to the Mikaelsons. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Klaus heard three knocks on the front door. He opened it right away, assuming that it was Elijah or Marcel. Maybe someone trying to kill him. Maybe both. What he didn’t expect was the love of his life standing on the porch. 

Her hair was a little shorter than last time he saw her. But her pale skin and her fragile-looking-yet-surprisingly-sturdy frame and dazzling eyes were the same. It was definitely Caroline Forbes standing in front of him. Beautiful as ever. 

Caroline Forbes. His Caroline Forbes.   
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed almost unreal to finally see him in front of her again. 

He was as gorgeous as she remembered. His piercing ice-blue eyes and dark ginger hair. She even remembered his freckles. Three on his neck. One next to his left eyebrow. 

She could think of a million things to say in that moment. “I want to see what the world has to offer” or “You said you’d be my last”. But all she said was: “Hi”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back with Elijah and Davina next week! See you then!
> 
> Tell me what you think in the comments <3


	14. We Didn't Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina and Elijah begin their search for Kol.

Davina jolted awake. 

For the first time in a while, she had fallen into a deep, peaceful sleep. She had dreamt of Kol. His soft lips against her’s. His eyes, staring deep into her soul. 

“Davina,” he had called to her. “I’m right here, love. I’ve always been here.”

She dreamt of fragrant flowers and green grass. She could feel the gentle winds rushing through her hair. She felt the sun beating down on her; golden and orange and yellow. And she dreamt of his hand intertwined with her’s. She dreamt of them laying in the green grass, hand in hand. And then blood started dripping, oozing from Kol’s nose. His eyes and ears and the corner of his mouth. 

“I’m right here, Davina. I’m right here, but I’m all alone. You have to find me, Davina!” 

And that was when she had woken. 

She sat up in the plush bed, glancing over to the one to her right. Elijah was asleep. Laying on his stomach, messy hair spread across the pillow. He looked more human than ever before. She had expected him to sleep on his back with his arms at his sides. Straight and formal. Then again, she hadn’t really expected to find him sleeping at all. Vampires had to sleep? She tried to remember ever seeing Marcel sleep before. While she couldn’t think of any instances of her father-figure sleeping, she quickly remembered seeing Josh sleeping before. 

Sliding out of her bed, she made her way to the small bathroom, where she slipped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. She let the hot water pour over her body, washing away the sticky, hot, sleepy feeling from the day before. 

She breathed in the steam as she worked the coconut and argan oil shampoo through her hair. Running her hands through her brunette locks gingerly, foam slipping gracefully between her fingers. 

Normally, that kind of dream would leave her with an empty feeling in her chest. The kind you get when you finish a long-running TV show, whether the ending was sad or not. But the ending of her dream made her feel different. Empty. Guilty.

“I’m right here, but I’m all alone,” the memory of his voice rang through her head. “You have to find me, Davina!”

She rinsed her hair and let the warm water pour over her, before turning the shower off and stepping out. She wrapped an itchy white towel around her body and looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. 

“I’m all alone.” 

She dried off and put on a new pair of clothes from her bag. A pair of skinny jeans, a flowy red tank top, and a golden chain necklace. 

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Elijah was standing by the window with a quarter full whiskey glass in one hand. His hair was perfect, his suit wrinkless. 

She couldn't recall seeing anywhere in the hotel with whiskey glasses; he probably brought it with him from New Orleans, that posh asshole. 

“I take it you're ready to look for my brother,” he said without turning to face her. 

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Elijah turned to look at her this time. “It’s 6:00 AM,” he stated with a raised brow.

“Great. Breakfast’s downstairs, then,” she said knowingly. 

“We don’t have anywhere to start looking.”

Davina looked up at him. “We ask around.”

“At 6:00 in the morning?”

“At 6:00 in the morning.”

By time they made their way downstairs, there were about six or seven people in the lounge, eating bacon, sausage, eggs, waffles, and cereal with mechanically dispensed milk in it. They hurried out of the hotel and to the car.

The vampire stopped next to the car door, holding out a key card. Davina took it quickly. She certainly wasn't getting locked out again. 

“You trust me with this?” she said, almost sarcastically. Almost. 

“I slept in the bed next to you, Davina. I hardly think a keycard is a dangerous device.” 

Biting her lip, Davina said, “ I'm surprised that you slept next to me, too.” 

“Just as Kol wouldn't forgive me for letting something happen to you, I don't think he'd forgive you for killing me. Don't you agree?”

Davina gave a half nod. 

“And you need me. Also, you wouldn't be able to kill me anyways.”

Davina opened the car door and sat down. “Don't get too cocky, Mikaelson.” She slammed the door. 

\----------------------------------------

Elijah had parked in a 24 hour parking garage, which Davina guessed he used compulsion to get, rather than paying. After all, Houma didn't have many vampires at all. So, lack of vampires = lack of vervain.

Davina scurried out of the parking garage and onto the cold cement. Elijah quickly appeared behind her. 

“Davina!” Someone shouted distantly. 

Davina spun around to look at the young man standing a few yards away. “Armando?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...another short chapter. It'll actually be longer next time, I swear. 
> 
> Thanks for reading guys! I can't believe that I already have 40 kudos??


	15. Patiently Waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina and Elijah get some help from a friend, leaving them one step closer to finding Kol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boiiii I'm back!

“Armando?” Davina said loudly.

“Davina! O dios mío!” He shouted, running closer to her. 

Elijah examined the boy in front of them. Tanned skin and black hair that swooped over his forehead with a perfect wave. Round sunglasses and a black jumper, tan sweater, and a chunky navy blue scarf. Full, pink lips turned up into an excited smile. Young and bubbly. 

“Armando, what're you doing here?” She asked. 

Armando tilted his head slightly, in confusion. “I live here, Davi.” 

“I mean **here**.”

“I was looking for you, muñeca! The covens have been talking. They said there's an Original in town!” He shouted.

Davina stepped closer and put her hands on Armando’s shoulders. “Army,” she muttered, turning the boy slightly, to face Elijah. 

“What?” he asked. Davina almost laughed at the confused expression on his face.

Elijah frowned at him. 

Davina gently guided him closer towards Elijah. 

“Davina, what?” 

“That’s Elijah.”

Armando’s face twisted in confusion. 

Davina raised a brow. “Elijah Mikaelson.” 

“Wh-” his whole face lit up. “Oh! You're an original!” 

Elijah sighed. “Yes.” 

“When did you guys get here? And why?!” 

“We just got here last night,” Davina said, looking around a bit. She hadn't gotten much of a chance to look around the town at all. 

“We’re looking for my brother. Kol Mikaelson. Maybe you've heard of him?” Elijah said while straightening his tie.

“He's a bloodthirsty bastard from what I've heard,” Armando snickered.

Davina bit her lip and looked down at the ground. “Not anymore.” 

“Oh shit. He was your friend, wasn't he?”

“A little more than that,” she said, standing up straight. “He was dead, and now he's not. I did a spell to find out where he is, and it pointed to here. We need to find him.”

Armando ran a hand across the back of his head. “I know someone who might be able to help you.”

Davina whispered a soft ‘thank you’, before Armando started walking off, motioning for them to follow. 

“Oh, by the way, I heard talk of an original in town a couple days before you arrived. Could be Kol, right?” He said, eyeing the traffic lights before walking across the street. 

Elijah followed just behind him, next to Davina, who was looking around with such vigor. Elijah on the other hand, was far from excited. Houma appeared to be just like any other Louisiana town. And, considering all the wonders he had seen in his thousands of years on earth, Houma wasn't even remotely impressive. 

Armando led them to a bustling street with the roads blocked off. There were people selling things of all sorts in tents and booths. But he continued walking until they could see a few old, scruffy looking men perched on the steps of a building, smoking cigars. 

The black haired boy stopped dead in his tracks. “That's the guy you'll wanna talk to. Beauregard Buford.” He pointed to the man in the middle. 

Davina and Elijah began walking towards him. 

“Aren't you coming?” She asked Armando, who was still standing there. 

“This is as far as I can take you.”

“What? Why?” She asked.

“He scares the shit outta me, mi amor.” 

Davina sighed and took a few more steps towards the men. “Okay.”

She hurried to a stop as she reached the steps of the building. “E-excuse me?” 

The men looked up at her, smiles forming in their faces. 

“Yeah, darlin’?” one of the men towards the back said flirtily. 

“I'm looking for Beauregard Buford?” 

One of the men, the one Armando pointed to, gave a slight wave. “That's me. But you can call me Beau, beautiful.”

Davina pretended not to notice that Elijah stepped closer to her. “I'm looking for my boyfriend.”

Scattered chuckles came from several men. 

“I don't know where he is, but your new one is right here, doll,” he said, gesturing to himself and then the other men. “Or new ‘ones’. If you're into that.” 

“Kol Mikaelson,” she blurted. 

The men all went silent. 

Beauregard leaned forward slightly. “I'm sorry? I don't think I heard you right. You say Kol Mikaelson?” 

“Yes. I'm looking for my boyfriend Kol Mikaelson. Original vampire. I'm guessing you've heard of him,” she said with an unamused smirk. 

“Not much of a vampire anymore, from what I've heard!” One of the men shouted. 

“Have you seen my brother or not?” Elijah butted in, in a stern voice. 

“Listen...there are a lot of dangerous witches in this town, alright?” Beau explained. 

“Yeah, I know. One’s standing right in front of you,” Davina remarked. 

Beau chuckled. “Doll, you're nothin’ compared to the shit storm I’d face for telling you anythin’. Not that I know nothin’.”

“Mhm,” Davina hummed, not believing him for a second. 

“Okay, listen...listen,” the older man began, taking another puff of his cigar, causing Davina to cough. “I'm not sayin’ that I know nothin’...but if I did, I’d probably tell you to check the Bayou.” 

“Is there any way I could get instruction on how to get there?” She asked. 

“Showin’ your gratitude would be enough,” he said slyly. “Just a little peck, eh, doll?” 

Davina scoffed. “Not likely,” she said, spinning around and walking off, Elijah trailing behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another shortish chapter •–• I'm sorry. 
> 
> Sooo I kind of want to either do a couple chapters focusing on Bonkai (and a little delena) or start a separate bonkai fic?? Would you guys be interested in that??? Tell me in the comments


	16. There's So Much They Hold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caroline and Klaus are reunited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating yesterday! I lost internet, so I couldn't post it from my laptop. 
> 
> WARNING: Chapter may contain ridiculous romantic cliches, references to Romeo and Juliet (on Caroline's part), and slightly OOC.

“Caroline?” 

“Hi,” she repeated. 

“Come in,” he said, unblinking. 

She muttered “yeah,” and walked in. Josh decided that it was best not to follow. 

Caroline walked in, looking around. It was all stone, dark wood, plants, and stairs. Dark red, topaz yellow, emerald green. 

He closed the door and turned to look at the blonde. The tension was practically palpable. 

“What're you doing here?” He muttered, his voice more stern than she was used to. 

“Rebekah,” she began. “She asked me to come here.” 

“Rebekah!” Klaus shouted. 

And sure enough, Rebekah Mikaelson appeared before them. The same as she remembered. Beautiful and dangerous, like all the Mikaelsons. 

“Oh, hello,” she said to Caroline, and then turned to Klaus. “What is it, Nik?” 

He stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded. “Caroline is here.” 

Rebekah raised her brows. “Yes. I noticed.” 

“She said that you told her to come here.” 

“Oh, yes. I did,” she said, grabbing her jacket from the coat rack. 

Klaus’s lips formed a straight line. “Rebekah,” he started. “My sister, I was hoping for an explanation as to why my ex lover is standing in my house right now,” he said, his smooth accent almost covering up his annoyed tone. 

“I'm not your lover,” Caroline interjected. 

Neither of the Mikaelsons paid her any attention. 

Rebekah smiled. “I'll he be back later, Nik. I'll explain then. Watch her. She's like an untrained puppy. If you don't keep an eye on her, she'll pee on the furniture.”

Caroline glared at her as she strolled out of the mansion. 

Klaus called after her. “Rebekah!” 

Caroline stared at the door in disbelief. “I'm not a dog.” 

Klaus smiled, devious and handsome. “As you've seen, Rebekah’s just as charming as ever.” 

“Obviously.” 

Klaus touched her hand gently, causing Caroline to jerk away. “I suppose we should keep you occupied while we wait.” 

“Why? Because I'll pee on the furniture?” Caroline snarked with a raised brow. 

“No,” Klaus giggled. “Elijah's off somewhere, Rebekah just left, and...well, that's my immediate family, ever since Kol died and Finn was locked far away.” 

Caroline was genuinely confused by what exactly was going on with the Mikaelson family; she never really understood. “I suppose.” 

“How about I show you around the city?” 

“Okay,” she said with a smile. 

Klaus guided her out of the house and into the crowded streets of New Orleans. 

“This,” he began, gesturing widely with his arms “is my greatest achievement. The city of New Orleans. I built this place from the ground up.” 

Caroline looked around in awe. “It's beautiful.”

“Of course, it was very different back then.” 

“Obviously. You're like 6 trillion years old.”

Klaus chuckled slightly, his arms behind his back as he strolled down the street. “There's one place you must see.”

“What?” 

“A cafe.” 

Caroline looked at him excitedly. “Cafe Du Monde?” 

The hybrid only gave a slight laugh again. “No.”

Klaus gestured at the building to her right. 

It was a brick-red, square building with a stripy awning, black tables, black chairs, and little yellow umbrellas at the tables. It was undeniably beautiful, but not the grandiose building that Klaus made it out to be. 

“It's...a cafe.” 

“Yes, that's what I told you it was, love.” 

“But it's just a cafe. Boring old cafe.” 

“No, no, love. This is the greatest cafe in New Orleans. Arguably, the whole of North America.” 

“All of North America? Really?” She said with a unbelieving smirk.

“Absolutely.” 

The original had her sit at one of the tables, where a waitress with glowing dark brown skin, long black box braids, round glasses over amber eyes, wearing a yellow sundress with an apron over it, approached them. 

“What can I get you today?” She asked with a soft smile. 

Caroline looked up from the menu in her hand. “The French toast and the lavender honey latte.” 

“Espresso please,” he said. 

“Alright that'll be 14.50,” the waitress responded with a smile. 

“Here you are, love,” Klaus said while handing her the cash, and Caroline was almost jealous that he called her ‘love’ too. Almost. 

The waitress blushed and nodded before turning around and walking into the building, which irked Caroline even more. 

Caroline, trying to distract herself from her jealousy (or what her jealousy meant), spoke. “I can't believe I'm having coffee with Klaus Mikaelson.” 

Klaus smiled grimly, his his hand folded over the other and his elbows resting on the table. “Are you enjoying it?”

She let out a short laugh. “I'm only here because I need to talk to Rebekah.” 

“Ah, yes. Why did you come here, anyways? I'm sure that Rebekah asking isn't enough to get you to come here, love. What did she say?” 

Caroline really did want to know why exactly Rebekah wanted her here. It certainly wasn't for Klaus. She had to have some ulterior motive, and Caroline was determined to find out what it was. “She didn't just ask me to come. She gave me a couple things that might make me want to move here.” 

“And what are-” he began. 

The waitress interrupted. “Here ya go,” she said, setting the small tray down. 

Caroline gave her an overdramatized smile. But the waitress paid her no heed. Instead, she set a small piece of paper next to Klaus’s cup and walked away. Not without giving him a wink. 

Caroline, with a disgusted look on her face, snatched the piece of paper and squinted at it.

“What a cheap skank,” Caroline laughed. “She left a heart next to her phone number.” 

He mixed the dark liquid with a spoon. “Now, now, Caroline. There's no need to bring other women down because you're fragile and insecure.”

“Fragile and insecure?! It's not my fault that she's the kind of girl who'll spread her legs for every hot guy she sees. And she hands them her phone number while they're sitting next to another women,” she said, snatching her plate and mug. 

“You're not a little bit jealous, are you?” He said with a smirk. 

The blonde scoffed. “You wish.”

She eyed the hybrid as he drank his coffee and she drank hers. He holds his cups with his pinky out. Could he be more painfully British? 

She took a bite of the French toast. It was pretty. Dusted heavily with powdered sugar, sprinkled with fresh strawberries, drizzled with maple syrup, and finished off with some kind of little purple flower. She half mindedly tucked it behind her ear as she chewed.

“Holy shit. This is amazing,” she said around a mouth full of toast. 

Klaus smiled fondly. “I told you.”

Caroline swallowed. “This cafe alone is enough to make me move here.” 

Klaus’s eyes flickered towards her. “So you really are moving here? Permanently?” 

“Yeah. I mean, I doubt I'll stay here for the rest of my immortal life. But, yeah. For now,” she said, taking another bite. “I have to find a house first, of course.”

The redheaded original nearly choked. “You don't have a house?” 

“Well, no. I sort of made the decision to move here in like two days.” 

Klaus kinked a brow. “Where’re you staying? Your car?”

“No...I don't have a car. Elena’s gonna drive it up here in a few days. I'm just gonna stay in a hotel.” 

“Nonsense. You'll stay with us.” 

“Stop that,” Caroline decreed. 

“Stop what?”

“Stop being so nice. You sound like Elijah.” 

Klaus's lips curved into a thin line. “You'd rather me be mean?”

“Hah! Noooo,” she said. “When you're being mean, you go on a murder spree.”

“You're still holding my past mistakes against me?” He said, only partially joking. 

“Somehow it's hard to believe that you're not still murdering people in cold blood.” 

Klaus's eyes darkened, his voice went quieter. The whole atmosphere seemed to go eerily dark and gray. “Only when I need to.” 

“Was murdering Jenna necessary, too?” She said in her coldest voice. 

“I've changed Caroline. For better or worse. I'm not saying that I'm a good person. Just that I've changed.” 

“So if you're not a good person, but you're not a bad person...what does that make you?” She asked, leaning in closer. 

“I'm just another monster, love,” he said, swirling his coffee with his spoon again. “The only difference is that I'm the scariest of them all.”

Caroline sat up straight in her chair. “I'm not scared of you.” 

“You never were. That's why I liked you.” 

“And you were always a monster. I think that's why I liked you.” 

“That's because you have a savior complex,” he said, finally breaking eye contact. 

“Excuse you?” She said, offended. 

“You do! You see a broken person, and you can't help but try to fix them.” 

Caroline’s forehead creased. “At least I don't try to break people.” 

“Ahh. Lovely coffee date conversations,” he said. And the dark atmosphere seemed to disappear, leaving nothing but the chipper looking cafe in their wake. 

“This isn't a date,” she sneered, finishing the last of her coffee and French toast.

Klaus, who had already finished his coffee, set a tip on the table (which was an unnecessarily large tip, in Caroline’s opinion). 

Klaus stood up. “Are you ready to go, love?”

“Go where?” 

“This cafe isn't the only place to see in New Orleans, darling,” he said, starting the trek back to his house. Caroline hurried after him. 

They arrived soon after. “Wow. I've never seen this place before,” she said sarcastically. 

“Don't be dramatic, Caroline. We're only here for the car.”

Caroline walked closer to him. “Why?” 

“It's quite a long ways away,” he said matter-of-factly. 

“We have super speed, ya know.” 

“Believe it or not, there are people here who aren't used to people running through the city at superhuman speeds.” 

“Okay. Point taken,” she said, getting into the already unlocked car.

Klaus got into the driver's seat and started the car in two swift motions. Caroline lost track of time. This time, instead of staring at the scenery, she stared at Klaus (whom Caroline decided was just as pretty, if not more so, than the scenery. Though she'd never admit it). 

She watched as he slowly pulled into Esplanade Ave. and into a park. 

The entrance was beautiful. A sign that read ‘city park’ in front of tall, colorful trees and green grass. 

Klaus was the first to exit the car. He walked farther into the park and gestured for Caroline to follow. She did. 

Caroline, of course, knew the dangers of going on a coffee date (yes, date) and then to a beautiful park with Klaus. Because, despite the fact that she moved to New Orleans for him (she would never say that to his face), she was having second thoughts on him. Back in Mystic Falls, it was easy to turn Klaus into some sort of Romeo. A forbidden love and nothing more. She had almost forgotten that he was a dangerous original hybrid. She had almost forgotten who he really was. Could she ever really be with him? He was right. He was nothing more than a broken little boy king, and she was an insecure, fragile girl with a savior complex. And them both being immortal, they could go on chasing each other’s tails like this until the sun burnt up the earth and everything on it. But she kept looking over at him as they walked through the peristyle building. And their hands brushed against each other's as they walked through the garden walkway. A beautiful walkway covered in ivy, bent green trees, and skinny trees with pink flowers on them. And they make their way to the wetland bridge. A short, curved bridge over a pond that reflected everything around it like a mirror. Low hanging trees and wildflowers and geese gliding through the water. She thought she might kiss him as they stand on the bridge, the sun starting to set. She doesn't. 

Klaus is staring at her reflection in the water, because he's worried that if he looks at her directly he won't be able to stop himself from kissing her. And if he looks her directly in the eye, he's not sure he'd ever be able to look away. But, god, she's the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. He wants her. So bad. But what if he soils her? What if, in loving her, he breaks her? He lied. He wasn't drawn to the darkness inside of her. It was the light. A bright, blinding, never ending light, and he wanted to know what it would be like to love a girl like that. Because she had a savior complex and, despite what he would tell you, he wanted someone to fix him. He was broken. Broken from the hateful words and the scars that had riddled his back and the thousands of years of loneliness. And maybe he could fix her, too. He saw her brokenness. He remembered a quote. “We are all broken, that's how the light gets in”. By Ernest Hemingway, if he remembered correctly. But the light that came through the cracks in Caroline were from inside of her. The lights needn't shine into that girl. Not the golden haired, blue eyed vampire girl. Not Caroline Forbes. Not his Caroline. He thought he was going to kiss her under the perfect oil painted sky. Paintbrush strokes of orange and pink and blue and purple. He doesn't. 

A loud **bang** echoes through the park. Klaus doesn't have time to tell her that it's only people setting off fireworks for the football game, because Caroline was already tripping and falling over the edge of the bridge. Klaus grabbed onto her hand, but she only dragged him down with her. With a loud splash, they were both in the pond, sending the geese squawking and flying out of the water, startled by the intruders.

Caroline mouth dropped open in shock as she looked down at her soaking wet clothes. Her wet hair sent waterfalls of chilled water down her already cold body. 

She lifted her hands up in defeat. “Klaus, what the hell?” She was too distressed and surprised to sound angry. 

Klaus tried his best to get over the initial shock. “This wasn't my fault, love.” 

“Oh, so it's my fault!?” She snapped. 

“I didn't pull you down into a pond after getting scared by fireworks.”

Caroline splashed water at him. His jaw dropped and he squeezed his eyes closed as water poured down his face. Before Caroline knew what was happening, with a graceful flick of his arm, Niklaus sent water hurdling towards her face. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw her horrified face. Caroline only splashed him back and began laughing, too. Klaus splashed her back and Caroline splashed him back, until they were both laughing uncontrollably (Caroline more than Klaus). If there was a part of them that wasn't drenched when they fell, there certainly wasn't now. 

Caroline almost started laughing again when she saw the strand of slimy green algae in his dark orange hair. “Y-you've got something-” she said, leaning in to remove it. 

Caroline's heart pounded in her chest as she leaned in closer. His Caribbean blue eyes locked with her sapphire ones. Her breathing was shallow, taking in barely enough oxygen. With every breath she took, her heart seemed to beat faster. She leaned in closer, her hand reaching slowly. And suddenly the longing, the temptation was over. Their lips collided. His soft, coral pink lips were against her’s. He sucked and bit at her lips hungrily. He was hungry for this. 

His arms were wrapped around her waist, her fingers in his hair. She slid her tongue into his mouth. She could taste mint and the espresso from the cafe. Her tongue explored the inside of his mouth and it felt like galaxies were exploding inside her chest. Their lips parted, gasping for breath. Their foreheads gently touched as they caught their breath. Their hands were intertwined, wet and slippery, but they didn't let go. 

Klaus watched as fireworks went off. He can see them go off behind Caroline. He thought he could paint her like this. She looked so beautiful. With her hair wet and hanging in her face, streaks of mascara running down her cheeks, her wet clothes clinging to her figure. He wanted to kiss her again. He does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if this sucked :((( this cliched bullshit was my only current inspiration for these two


	17. I Don't Wanna Be Someone Who Walks Away So Easily

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina, Elijah, and Armando search for Kol in the Bayou.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that this is so shitty. I wrote it instead of sleeping. The next one will be more exciting. Brace yourselves for the Major Character Death warning in future chapters. We're getting there.

Elijah got out of the car and straightened his jacket. Followed by Davina, then Armando, who had demanded that he came with them.

Davina sighed, folding her arms. “So? Where do we start?” 

Armando looked around, holding up a hand to shield his eyes from the unforgiving sun. “There's some people here that might be able to help us.” Taking Davina’s hand, he began walking. “Follow me.” 

Elijah – dark, pristine, and silent – trailed behind them. The groggy atmosphere of the bayou didn't vanquish his already alexithymic mood. He just wanted to find his baby brother and get out. After all, he wasn't fond of the musky, earthy smell of freshly clipped grass, decaying foliage, and the occasional rush of swamp gas. 

Armando led them deeper into the bayou, until Elijah could see three men wearing dirty, wet clothes, next to an old-looking wooden boat. It wasn't until they got closer to them that Elijah realized that they had rifles.

“Gentlemen, these are my amigos. Davina and Elijah,” Armando introduced. 

One of the men clapped Armando on the shoulder. “Ay! Well if it ain't Armando Mendoza!” 

“Elijah, Davina, this is Ford. And those are his friends Buck and Dixie.” 

Elijah eyed the three. There was a familiar red stain on Buck’s shirt. Even worse, he could smell it. Blood.

“What are you three doing out here?” He asked, deep and almost monotonously. 

A wide, red smile appeared across Dixie’s face. “I'm so glad you asked!” 

“Gator huntin’!” The three men said in unison. 

Davina turned to Armando, wide eyed. “I thought you were taking us to...They're not…” 

“What? Witches? Nah,” Ford answered. 

“We ain't no vamps, either,” Buck butted in. 

“Or werewolves!” Dixie added. 

Ford shook his head. “Nope. Just humans.” 

“Just some ol’ gator hunters out here,” Buck laughed. “Ain't no smart person out here who don't know about them witches.” 

Davina looked at Armando questioningly. 

Elijah cleared his throat. “We were hoping that you'd seen my brother.” 

Davina’s eyes lit up. “Oh! Yeah. H-he's tall...he's got blue eyes and curly brown hair.” 

Armando watched as she quickly dug through her pocket, and pulled out a crumpled up picture. “Oh, and he's got magnificent cheekbones,” he added. 

“Here,” she said, handing them the picture. 

“Nah. I'd remember a face like that,” Buck said, giving the picture back to her. 

“Yeah, no way,” Dixie agreed. 

Davina looked down and tucked it back in her pocket. “I don't know...have you seen anything strange recently?”

Ford grinned toothily. “Well, I did see Barn-” 

“She don't wanna know about Barney, Ford,” Dixie said, shoving his friend slightly. 

Elijah massaged his temples gently. 

“Oh, wait. Oh! What about that thing last night?” Buck yelled excitedly. 

Ford’s eyes went wide. “Oh yeah! That thing! You remember that thing last night, don't you, Dix?” 

Dixie knocked his rifle softly against his leg. “Of course I remember it, Ford.” 

“Thing? What thing?” Armando asked. 

“Well, let me tell you,” Ford said, sitting on the boat and setting his gun on his lap. “Last night, we were out here gator huntin’. And cause gators hunt at night, so do we. It's twelve O’clock-” 

“It was only eleven, you drama queen,” Dixie interrupted. 

“Anyways, it's midnight. We hear this noise, right? It's this loud, echoing bang. Bang! And I'll tell you what it was. It was something big fallin’ down. Something real big.”

Dixie sighed deeply. “Here we go again with Ford’s drama. Ain't nothin’ fell over. It was just fireworks. Don't listen to the old bat. He just likes the excitement, and in all honesty, the attention.” 

“I do not!” Ford shouted back. 

Buck walked up closer to Davina and Elijah. He put his hands on their shoulders. “No, no, no. Don't listen to those old loons. That wasn't nothin’ fallin’, and it sure as hell wasn't no fireworks. It was a gunshot. Clear as day. Trust me, I'd know that sound anywhere.”

Davina looked up at Buck. “You can't be the only people hunting out here.”

“Oh, honey,” Ford said, pushing his way past Buck. “At midnight? Out here? We're the only ones out here.” 

“Mh-hm,” Buck hummed, running his fingers along the stubble on his chin. 

“We've been out here every night for years. There ain't ever been nobody out here, but us,” Dixie confirmed. “But, none of that matters, because it wasn't a gunshot.” 

Elijah’s eyes darted back and forth between the three men. He wasn't entirely sure who's story to trust (if any of them), but he'd probably bet on Buck’s. 

“And it couldn't of been too far away,” Buck continued. “Anyway. Hope that helps. That's all we got.” 

Armando smiled. “Yeah, thanks, amigos.”

The original watched as the men got in the little wooden boat and untied the rope, sending them gently out into the water. 

It was Davina who broke the silence, which Elijah was glad for, because it was an awkward one. Oh, how he hated awkward silence. Comfortable ones were rare, but ultimately satisfying. “You found some interesting friends here, Army.” 

The boy let out a short laugh. “You've gotta befriend a lot of people if you want to survive around here.” 

Elijah raised his chin slightly, looking down at the witches. “Why don't we split up. We’ll cover more ground that way, yes?”

Armando nodded. “Yeah, sure. Meet back here in, what? Two hours?” 

“Let's make it four. There is a lot of ground to cover. The Bayou itself takes up about half the initial size of the town,” Elijah said bitterly. 

Davina gave him an insincere smile. “If you find anything, call me right away, okay?”

“Of course,” he said, and they all went different ways. Deeper and deeper into the damp bayou. 

——————————

Exactly four hours later, Elijah returned to the original spot, where he could see Davina and Armando trudging their way through the muck. 

“Nothing?” Davina shouted. 

Elijah sighed. “No.” 

Armando shook his head. “I can't believe we've been looking for four hours.” 

“Yeah, well we're gonna look for four more,” Davina said with an exhausted sigh. 

Elijah looked down at her, pity and annoyance, a combination that should've been impossible, in his eyes. “Davina, it's going to be dark in four more hours. Let’s start again tomorrow.”

“No. We have to find him now.”

“For all we know, Beauregard wasn't even telling the truth. We can look around town, but the Bayou can wait.” 

“But-”

“The decision is final.”

——————————

So they went around town searching. She saw brick and asphalt and the same moss covered trees, but but nothing that even suggested that Kol had been there. 

“Sorry, Davina. But I don't think that I can help you again tomorrow,” Armando had begun. “Just...don't leave without saying goodbye. Besides, I want to meet this Kol Mikaelson.” 

What she had said sounded so simple, yet she meant it with every fiber of her being. “He's good.” He _was_ good. More than good. He had managed to change her life in a matter of weeks. 

When she got back to the hotel, she sunk into the bed, not even taking off her makeup before drifting off into a deep slumber. 

Her dreams were far less peaceful that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feedback is always welcome!


	18. What You Find

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haunted by nightmares, Davina must find a way to save Kol in time. Though it might already be too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this super short chapter!

Blood splattered across his face. Blood-matted, tousled curls stuck to his forehead with sweat. 

The words escaped his blood stained lips; slow and like thunder. “You're killing me.” 

With watery eyes and shaky hands, she reached out to him. “Kol.” 

“You said you'd save me.”

His eyes still and pale. Not warm and brown, like usual. Empty; like moonlight.

“No, no. Kol, I will,” she said, and her voice broke. 

“But now I'm dead.” 

A voice echoed through the empty blackness around them. “It was a gunshot. Clear as day. Trust me, I'd know that sound anywhere.” And a deafening gunshot followed.

It pierced through the center of Kol’s head. Blood streamed down his face, but his expression stayed the same. 

Davina yelped. “Kol!” 

“You killed me, Davina Claire.”

This time, it wasn't just his voice. There were two, as if the second voice was behind his throat. “And you’ll never find my body.”

Davina woke with a scream. 

Elijah, already dressed, stood next to her bed. “Davina.” 

wide eyed, she stood up. “I'm fine. It was just a dream.” She didn't mention that it was the same dream she'd been having since they looked in the Bayou.

“And you've woken up screaming for the past three days,” he said with a sigh.

She glanced over at the clothes folded neatly on his bed. 

“What're you doing?”

“Hm?” Elijah hummed, biting the inside of his lip.

“Are you packing?” She said in disgust. 

“We've been here four and a half days,” he began. “We can't stay here too long. You're the last harvest witch and I'm an Original. There are plenty of people who’d be more than happy to see us dead. And we're not exactly being low-profile.” 

“Exactly! You're an original and I'm a witch! We can defend ourselves,” she argued. “Besides, I thought you actually wanted to find Kol.”

He gritted his teeth. “I do.” 

He was getting angry, which scared Davina more than she'd like to admit. He was known for being the gentler, nobler, more reasonable Mikaelson, but if you pissed him off, he could tear you apart. 

“Then stay,” she said, stepping in front of his bed. “Stay until we find him.” 

He sighed again. “Even if he was here, he's not here now.”

“No! He is!” She felt a hot tear roll down her cheek, but quickly wiped it away. “He has to be.” 

**You killed me, Davina Claire.** the voice in her head said.

Stop it, stop it, stop it. She bit her lip until she could taste blood. 

**And you'll never find my body.**

“Stop!” She accidentally yelled out loud. 

Elijah turned to her with wide eyes. “Davina?” 

“I-I'm fine,” she stuttered. “Just...please?” 

Elijah sighed (why did he sigh so much?). “If we stay here any longer, we're going to need some kind of cloaking spell. They know we're not as dangerous alone. Klaus doesn't even know where we are.” 

Davina’s eyes widened. Cloaking spell? “That’s it!” She yelled, grabbing Elijah’s jacket and hurrying out of the room. 

The older man appeared by the stairs next to her. “Davina, what're you talking about? What's it?” 

But she was already rushing through the lobby, not even giving the red-headed lobbyists a chance to finish saying ‘good morning’ before running out the doors. She climbed inside Elijah’s car, and started it with the keys in his jacket pocket. 

Elijah ran with his vampire speed through the lobby, across the parking lot, and into the front passenger seat in the blink of an eye. “Where are you going?” 

“The Bayou.” Davina narrowed her eyes and smirked determinedly. “To find Kol.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading   
>  ~(•—•)~


	19. Without The World Caving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Davina comes closer to finding Kol, though she isn't sure what to believe anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I didn't update last week. I was doing stuff for my birthday, so I didn't even get around to writing it! 
> 
> Also, this chapter is super short. It's only like 900 words. And for some reason, I decided to make this very vague and poetic?? I don't know why.

Davina ran through the bayou. She could tell that her bare, raw feet were starting to bleed. She had realized too late that she hadn't put shoes on before leaving. She was still wearing the silk pink and black tank top and shorts that she had worn to bed. She stopped in her tracks. Her hair blew in the wind, strands blowing directly in her face, damp eyes sparkling in the early morning sun, which lazily filtered through the mossy trees. What a sight she must have been. Standing there in silk pajamas with her long hair blowing every which way, tears tracking down her cheek. 

“Kol,” she whispered; the wind seemed to carry her words with it, like an echo. 

“Kol, Kol, Kol,” the wind whispered back. 

“Davina.” 

She didn't turn around. She knew who it was. 

Elijah stood behind her, to her left. His suit fluttered gently in the wind, as well. He didn't dare touch her or even speak. She wouldn't respond anyways. She was too focused on finding Kol. And when Davina Claire focused on something, she blocked everything else out until she was done. She was sure that Kol was there, though he had no idea why. They had looked in the bayou multiple times, but they could never find him. What had he said this morning that caused her to run out? He remembered saying something about Klaus not knowing where they were. That they would need a cloaking spell if they stayed any longer. That he wanted to find Kol. What did she know that he didn't? Elijah really didn't like not knowing more than everyone else; it wasn't a feeling he was used to, after all. 

It seemed so wrong for Elijah to be there. He should've been watching this sublime scene on a movie screen. Dressed in silk, her lips slightly parted, sucking in quick, shallow breaths. Looking a little lost and a little dazed, but elegant. The soft glow of her being seemed so out of place in the dark, dreary Bayou. The scene laid out before him was a strange mix of beauty and tragedy. Elijah was all too familiar with this mixture. Mourning. Heartbreak. He didn't want her to lose herself in this. If it got too dark, too risky, he'd have to pull her out. Even if that meant actually, physically dragging her home. He would do it for Kol. He'd've wanted her to go home. 

To his surprise, though, she didn't collapse to the ground in a fit of tears. She didn't close her eyes firmly and walk silently away, never looking back. She wasn't mourning, she was fighting, he realized as she held her hands out in front of her. Shaky at first, but quickly steadied. 

She spoke, louder than she had all day. “Phasmatos Oculacs.” As she spoke, something in her eyes lit up. Not bright and young and full of hope. Like fire. Burning and determined and in love. He had to keep reminding himself that Davina was the latter. 

A building appeared before them, as the cloaking spell was undone. Old and wooden and metal. A dock house, she realized. A small fishing boat was all tied up at the dock, looking like it hadn't been used in a while. 

She approached it, Elijah following slowly behind her. 

Her heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't help it. Her dream, the gunshot. It was all too much. She couldn't stop thinking that that gunshot was fired off at Kol. What if it was some sick joke? Some witches whom she had wronged, brought back her beloved, only to kill him again. Or that he was never alive in the first place. They dragged her all the way out to Houma, Louisiana just to find his rotting corpse in an old dock house. 

Oh, how she desperately wanted Kol. She wanted to put her hands in his sweaty curls and let his fingers trace every inch of her body. She wanted him to reach up from his place on the mattress to have to kiss her. She wanted him to pull on her lip with teeth. But she craved the most innocent things, too. She wanted to hear his deep morning voice that sounded the way that freshly brewed coffee tasted. To watch the gentle rise and fall of his chest and really look at the way his long, black eyelashes casted a shadow on his cheeks as he slept. She wanted to feel him gingerly and every-so-lightly run his fingers across the palm of her hand and lock their fingers together. She just wanted Kol back. Not dead or bloody. She wanted **her** Kol. Soft, with a soul of stars and eyes that had the perfect balance of youth and wisdom (she knew he wasn't wise. He was young and reckless, eager to make mistakes and to fall in love and to hurt. To feel.) She wanted Kol Mikaelson back. 

As she reached the door, she whispered again, almost impossible to hear. She whispered to herself, for the world to hear. For the fish and the alligators that those men swore to hunt, for the birds softly chirping in the trees above her, for whatever lied inside the building to hear. “I love you.” 

This time, the wind didn't echo her words. It carried another, unspoken message. Faint and barely there. “Don't forget me, Davina Claire.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, I might not be posting 100% consistently this summer. June, at least. This Friday is the last day of school, but I'm leaving on a trip next like...Thursday, I think? So, I might not be updating every Wednesday. I'll try my best, anyways. Thanks for sticking with me!!


	20. The Tools and Gifts We Got

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mystic Falls gang arrives in New Orleans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy B) I'm back from Vacation and have a very, very late chapter ready for ya.

Neither Caroline or Klaus had spoken about what had happened at the bridge that day. Of course, Rebekah wasn't blind to the obvious tension between them.

After she had come back from her sudden trip around the shops of New Orleans, which she had done specifically to get Caroline and her brother to spend time together, she had ushered Caroline away into the other room. The younger vampire had demanded that she explained why she called her and asked her to come to New Orleans. Which was completely ridiculous. She knew damn well. Caroline Forbes came to New Orleans for Klaus Mikaelson, and she was too weak to admit it. Nevertheless, her little plan had worked. Caroline and Klaus had been dancing around each other all day. Obviously something had happened three days ago. Anyways, she had managed to escape Caroline without a real explanation. Though Caroline refused to admit that anything had happened.

Caroline had only just decided to inform her that Elena and Bonnie had were driving Caroline’s car all the way up to New Orleans. Which was bad enough. But then some uninvited guests came.

The blue car rolled up next to Caroline’s car, which was being driven by Bonnie. “Heya, Vampire Barbie.”

Caroline's head snapped up “Fuck. Damon?”

Both cars parked and Damon hurried out, Elena by his side.

“I'm sorry, Caroline. I couldn't stop him from coming,” she said with a sigh.

Bonnie stepped out of the car with a glare on her face. “Me neither,” she said, pointing to the tall, lean figure behind her.

“Ooh! Nice house,” he said, skipping up to the door. The boy, 20 years old at the most, blew bubblegum and pulled his earbuds out.

Rebekah grabbed his wrist with an iron grip before he could open the door. “And who’re you?”

“Kai Parker. Well, Malachai, actually. Malachai Parker. Kai is short for Malachai. But that's kind of obvious, isn't it? Malachai’s a stupid name, anyways. I mean, what were my parents thinking? It's like they _wanted_ me to be a killer. Have they never seen Children of the Corn? Who carries a baby for 9 months and then names it Malachai? Well, I mean, who carries a baby for 9 months but then hits it or tells it it's whole life that it's such a fucking disappointment for not being born with magic? It probably would be been easier to stand all of that if they had at least given me a good name. Now that I think about it, they might've named me after the character from Children of the Corn. But they named my twin sister Josette. How is that fair? Josette is a normal name. Well, kind of. It's better than Malachai, though. Oh! And I **am** sort of a witch. I said I didn't have magic, but I sort of do. I'm a siphoner. I can absorb other people's magic, but I don't have my own. I know, weird, right? I don't know if I should say that **I** have magic, because is not really **mine**. Doesn't really matter, thou-”

“Kai, shut up,” Bonnie snapped.

Kai looked down. “Sorry.”

“Sorry, he's a sociopath with no filter,” she said, glaring at Kai. “After he slaughtered his family, they trapped him in a prison world in 1994. Hence the Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt.”

“What do you have against my taste in music, _Bo_ nnie? What’s wrong with The Red Hot Chili Peppers? Or Nirvana? Metallica? Pearl Jam? The Cranberries? Pixies? Aerosmith?”

Bonnie sighed. “Let me guess, you like Green Day, too.”

“Jesus, Bonnie. Who doesn't like Green Day?”

“Okay, well, all cute sociopaths aside, Damon is not stepping foot in my house,” Rebekah stated.

Bonnie muttered softly “did she say cute?”

“You do realize that saying that is only gonna make him want to come in more, right?” Caroline said.

“Well, I see no reason for any of you to come in at all.”

Elena perked up. “Actually… I think we wanted to stay for a while. I've always wanted to see New Orleans.”

Rebekah’s face hardened, eyes narrowing and forehead creasing, then softened. “Surely you can find a hotel to stay at.” she said, turning to look at Damon. “Otherwise, I think I’d have to torture him again. That was fun, wasn’t it?”

Damon recoiled. “Okay. Fair enough. Fair enough…”

“We’ll find a hotel,” Elena confirmed.

Caroline, still nervous, despite what she would tell you, to say anything against the Mikaelsons, cleared her throat, causing all eyes to turn to her, except Kai, who was more focused on the side of Bonnie’s face.

Caroline did her best to ignore the way Damon snaked his arm around Elena’s waist. “There are plenty of rooms, Rebekah. C’mon.”

She did her best, truly. But it wasn’t quite enough. She imagined Klaus wrapping his arm around _her_ waist. Did Klaus stare at her when she wasn’t looking, too? She remembered the feeling of Klaus’s soft lips against her’s. Would she ever feel that again? She didn’t even know what the hell she wanted. They hadn’t said much to each other after that day. And they hadn’t talked about the kiss at all. Maybe that was for the best.

She didn’t exactly want to see Kai and Bonnie awkwardly stare at eachother and casually flirt, or see Elena and Damon flirt not so casually, but she wanted to talk to her friends. Them staying in the house with her might be the only way that she’d ever be able to tell her friends about what happened (without telling them over text, of course. That wasn’t exactly ideal). So she could deal with all the flirting and obvious sexual tension for a while. Damon and Rebekah being at eachother’s throats was another thing altogether.

Bonnie, obviously picking up on how on edge the blonde original was, said “It’s okay, Car. Really. We’ll go get a hotel. Maybe we can go out for coffee tomorrow? Just us three girls; like the old times.”

Caroline let out a small, barely audible sigh, but nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

Elena smiled and took Damon’s hand, slowly leading him back to the car.

Bonnie sighed as well and swatted away Kai’s hand which was gently trying to wrap itself round her’s.

 

Bonnie, who was sitting in the front passenger seat this time, looked over at Kai. He was softly and quietly singing along to Suck You Dry by Mudhoney. He had a nice voice, she had realized. So, she didn’t really mind having to listen to his 80s and 90s music all the time. As he kept his eyes glued to the street, she took the time to really study his face. It was probably something she could get used to looking at, even if she did want to slap him every time he opened his mouth. He licked his lips as the song changed to Blinding Sun. He tapped his finger on the steering wheel to the beat of the song. Bonnie found him oddly cute like this; focused and so ordinary looking.

 

“I don't see why you're so worried,” Damon said, stepping out of the elevator.

Elena walked down the hallway of the hotel. “I just don't trust them. And I don't think that Caroline is thinking clearly. She's too tied up in her Romeo and Juliet romance with Klaus to actually really think about how dangerous this is.”

Damon appeared by her side. “I thought that you thought that she was good for him,” he said.

“I did! I do. I don't think that Klaus would hurt her. But I don't trust Rebekah. And, while I do usually trust Elijah, he'll always choose his family over her.”

Damon took the key card from her while she was busy ranting and unlocked the door. “Yeah, well you really shouldn't trust a Mikaelson. Every time that we do, we end up screwed.”

Elena sighed and walked into the room. “Okay, yeah. Kind of,” she said with a grin. “I don't want to think about it right now, though.”

He closed the door behind him. She walked back over to him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

She slipped the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doorknob and quickly pulled his shirt over his head. With a smirk, he does the same to her. Then unclasps her bra, letting it fall to the floor. When she looks up from slipping her shorts off, he’s already undone his belt buckle. They both collapse into the bed with devious smiles.

Maybe this won’t be so bad, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I started writing a prequel to this story. It's all about what happened with Bonnie and Kai before I won't Give Up On Us. You can read it [HERE](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11164716/chapters/24919386).
> 
> Also, feel free to tell me what you think in the comments! I'm insecure and crave validation :)))


	21. God Knows We're Worth It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are found, things are lost, everyone needs therapy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy so, I am actually aware that I haven't updated since uhhhh July. But here I am!!!!!!! Sorry for not updating, my dudes. This is my first year going to public school and I've had like 5 mental breakdowns. So that's what's been up. Yeahh

Davina swings the door open. Her heart is beating too fast in her chest; it feels like it is about to break through her ribcage. There’s a man in front of her. A tall, broad shouldered man with sandy hair streaked with gray and a brown hat resting on his head. He speaks, his voice deep and southern.

“Who are you?” 

Davina stiffens at the angry tone of his voice. Elijah appears by her side only moments later, but she pays him no heed.

“What do you want?” The man steps forward, as to get a better look at the young girl in front of him.

Davina doesn’t answer. Her mind is set on one thing and one thing alone. 

“Where is he?” The way she says it barely sounded like a question. Her voice is firmer, deeper, more emotional than she can remember it ever being. 

“What’re you talking about, girl? How’d you find us?”

Davina pushes past him with a strength she didn’t know she had. Looking around the eerie, musty room, she sees nothing. She can physically feel her heart sink to her stomach and hear Elijah let out the breath he has been holding in since she opened the door. 

Just as all hope was about to be drained from her body, she hears a noise. A shout. Two. A shout followed by a clattering noise. It was muffled, but not exactly distant. Like the noise was coming from around them. In the walls or below the floor. 

“What was that?” she says without turning around to face him. 

The southern man steps forward, a smile tugging at his cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“We’re looking for my brother. Kol Mikaelson,” Elijah explains.

Davina looks around the room more, inspecting it. Her eyes narrow at the rather large streaks and splatters of blood on the floor. 

The southern-sounding man’s face contorts into something Elijah can only assume is astonishment. “Well, I’ll be damned. You must be Elijah Mikaelson.”

Elijah responds in a cool, even tone, “Listen, I just want to know where my brother is. Do you know something or not?”  
“No. I don’t know anything.”

“You’re lying,” Elijah states, hands in pockets. “Who are you?”

The man looks up, something dangerous in his eyes. “Angus. Angus Lindholm.” 

Elijah, not at all threatened or draw in by the fire dancing in the man’s whiskey colored eyes, says, “you're a witch.” 

“Very observant,” Angus chuckles. 

“What're you doing here?” 

“I could ask you the same thing, Mikaelson,” Angus drawls. “This is my property.” 

Elijah quirks a brow and sighs. “I don’t have time for games. Where is my brother?”

Davina finds herself tense, clenching her jaw. She had waited so long for this moment, but now that it’s finally here, she doesn’t know what to do. What will she say when she sees him? Will she ever actually get the chance to see him again? Is he even alive?

“You killed me, Davina Claire,” the voice echoes in the back of her mind. 

“I’m right here, but I’m all alone. You have to find me, Davina!” whispers another. 

She tries not to breathe in too deeply. The whole place reeks of blood and rot; like an infected wound. She had made the mistake of doing so before, resulting in her almost gagging. Kol couldn’t’ve died. Not here. Not in a place like this. 

“I told you, I don’t know,” Angus growls angrily. 

There’s another shout, and it takes her a minute to realize that this one isn’t in her head. It’s louder than the previous one, but still muffled. 

“Dav-”

“Kol?!” she shouts back. 

It has to be him. 

“I told you that he’s not here!” Angus yells. He grabs Davina by the wrist, hard. Automatically, she lifts her other hand and attacks him with a pain infliction spell. Angus falls to the floor, releasing her wrist.   
She calls out again. “Kol!”

“Davina!” 

It doesn’t exactly sound like Kol. The voice sounds weak and strained. Like he’s shouting her name with his last dying breath, a dark part of her mind offers. 

And before she knows it, Elijah is across the room, pulling up a hatch in the floor, revealing a staircase that disappears into the darkness of whatever lies beneath the building. 

Davina hurries over to the wooden hatch and follows Elijah into the blackness. 

The basement is lit with a torch and a couple small lanterns, illuminating another door. Before she can even reach out to open it, Elijah’s already swinging it open with that rushed ellagance that all of the Mikaelsons seem to have.

There are four people in the room. Two women and two men. Her eyes focus. Five people. Kol. 

He’s sprawled out on the floor, his entire body covered in blood. There’s a smear of blood on the floor, next to Kol’s head, and a handgun. He’s unmoving. She swears her heart stops beating for a moment. No. No, no, no. He can’t be dead. His story can’t end like this. He’s thousands of years old. He’s seen the rise and fall of civilizations. He’s seen thousands of lives be created and millions of lives snuffed out like a candle, wax dripping on his skin, leaving unforgettable scars. He was Kol fucking Mikelson. He was a witch and a vampire and a brother. He was a lover and a killer. He was a god; golden and glowing and infinite. With the face of a boy and old, worn eyes. The boy with the blinding, brightest light inside of him. And she had been lucky enough to see it. She was lucky enough to see past the arrogant, angry vampire who lashed out so someone would pay attention. The neglected boy with a heart of gold and hands covered in blood. The boy who was there for her when no one else was. No. He can’t be dead. She loves him. He can’t be dead. 

One of the women comes at Elijah with a knife. He rips her heart out of her chest, in one swift motion. It’s a rather poetic way of describing exactly how she feels right now, she thinks. 

 

The men standing in the back on the room look horrified, but the second woman looks unphased. 

The dull ache inside her chest and the ball in her throat quickly turn into rage as she’s throwing spells at them. Everything seems like it’s in slow motion. The wooden floor panels are torn up and the whole building shakes, but she only manages to take down one of the men, and Angus has already followed them down.

The fierce-looking, red leather jacket-wearing woman and Angus attacked them full force. Throwing spells at them and receiving twice as many. Her ears are ringing and her vision begins to blur, but she continues. She can see Elijah throw Angus against the wall, out of the corner of her eyes. Angus simply stands up again, and she realizes that they’re somehow losing the fight.

The other man, young and dark haired, fidgets nervously as he kneels in front of the girl and her bloody heart on the floor next to her. 

“Stop,” he chokes out. “STOP!”

It takes Davina a moment to realise that the raven-haired boy kneeling on the floor hadn’t actually spoken. He hadn't even opened his mouth. 

The boy stands up, eyes flashing white.


End file.
